What If
by maria.latrushkin
Summary: What if Harry's parents were alive, The Dark Lord is deid but he left 7 horcruxes that must be destroyed, to all of this Harry has a younger sister Mia that we help him and his freinds...
1. Chapter 1: The Attack

**Chapter 1: The Attack**

James and Lilly Potter living in Gordic Hallow, Lilly is at home and care for her little children, before she got pregnant she used to work in the little potion shop in the town, her husband James is working in the Ministry Of Magic as a Auror and sometimes is teaching transfiguration in Hogwarts. They have to young children: Harry that is 1 year old and Mia that is only 6 month old.  
'Today is going be something horrible, I must to tell the order that my family is in danger' thought to herself the young mother Lilly Potter who were watching her two children: Harry and Mia sleeping.  
She went to the kitchen and prepared the bottles of milk to her kids and looked at the special clock on the wall. 'Where is James? It is already 07:00 soon one of the kids will wake up, something is really happening' she thought again and at the same time her husband James Potter flooded from the fireplace in the living room. "I'm home" he whispered because he saw the light in the kitchen and knew that there was his wife. Then he went straight to the kitchen and kissed his wife. "Honey, what is it? What bothers you my love?" he asked his wife and wait until she started to talk "James, I have a feeling that something will happen here in Gordic tonight, let me just to tell everyone and that I want that somebody will be here to protect the kids, I don't let them die".  
"Dear, I see that you not the only one who had a feeling like this, Snape and Dumbledore already said me that by their patroonus nearly one hour ago. Also I can add that they both will be here with us tonight and if something will happen we will took the kids and floo to The Borrow, I already talked with Arthur Weasley and it is ok from his wife to have us for couple of days until the danger will be behind us and we will move to Potter Manor" he cuddled his wife and then said "Don't worry love, everything will be fine. "I know that everything will be fine and your parents allowed to us to be in there house, but it means that I will need to open the potion shop again but thanks god that your mother or father will help me with the kids until they could talk and walk by themselves" Lilly said that with a sad and happy voice at the same time. "Harry is already started to talk, it will be not so hard love". "Well dear, he only said 'Ma' and once he calls me 'Mama' so it is only the start" Lily said that and hugged her husband. There was a quit silence until James heard the wimping of his little girl from the checker in the room.  
"C'mon I it is Mia crying, give me Harry's bottle for any case and you will breastfeed Mia" the couple went upstairs and they saw that Harry was steel asleep so James still have time to himself .  
"Shh, little baby" Lilly whisper and took her little girl to the master bedroom to breastfeed her girl. At the same time James went to change his Auror cloth to a home cloth and went downstairs to prepare a breakfast to him and his wife.  
Lilly fed Mia, who is on no time fell back to sleep, checked Harry and then went to the kitchen.  
James was cooking omelets and waiting till the newspaper with an open window. Soon enough everything was ready and the newspaper was on the table, he put to the little bag on owl's leg money and the bird fly away.  
"So after the breakfast I thought to take the kids little bit outside to the fresh air so if you want you can go to sleep couple of hours and then you can prepare for us lunch" Lilly said it to her husband while she was washing the dishes and her husband was reading the newspaper. "Yea, sure I want to sleep, but I thought that today is my day with the kids and also I had a two hours free so I slept at the office so I am not such tired" then he yawned "Ok maybe little bit" they both chuckled and then Lilly went to kiss her husband.  
From nearly 10:00 till the dinner Lilly was out with her little children in the booster and just talking to one of her classmates that lived in other neighborhood.  
After the lunch the family has time to her, while Mia was napping. James and Lilly packed the bags for any case and teach Harry some new words. He said once 'Mama' and once 'Papa'. Now he was lying on his parents bad and eats a tooth toy, his father was watching him while his mother was prepare the dinner.  
At the same time someone had flooded and it was Snape, Dumbledore and professor McGonagall. "Hello, Lilly, James we are here to protect you, it is really have a good smell. Lilly I suppose that you are who cooking and James is upstairs with the kids" Dumbledore entered to the kitchen to greet one of his grates students. "Well you right Professor, come and join I prepare enough food" at the same time James took his kids and put them in their special hand boosters and went downstairs to meet his past teachers and his 'friend' and one of the protectors and the keeping the secret of the family. The dinner was good. The guests got a sleep bags in the living room and the host decided to sleep on the first level for any case. Lilly was right from all the day, the Dark Lord came to Gordic Hallow to kill the Potter family.  
It was a late night, the door of the Potter house suddenly opened by a spell, all the household except the kids were ready for the battle. The kids were sleeping in their hand boosters near the fireplace, Lilly was in front of the boosters with a wand in her hand, her husband was standing next to her and all the protectors were standing in a new - moon circle. "AVADA KADAVRA" the Dark Lord screams and the green line hit the little cupboard and destroyed it. Once The Dark Lord entered to the room and saw Harry he pointed his wand to the little sleeping boy and shouted "AVADA KADAVRA" at the same time Lilly put a shield spell that retuned his spell like a mirror and it hit him, but a little green line hit Harry's forehead. The two babies started to cry, the woman take each other one and started to cuddle until the men will done the 'black job' .Then he was caught and all his way to the Ministry he saw in front of him three wands, after all of it he was killed by the dementors and Dumbledore. After all this terrible night, Harry got a Scar in the form of a lightning strike that will remind what had happened here. Then the young family moved to the Borrow for some nights and after all the celebrations they moved to the Potter Manor and started their new life.

**Author note – on the next chapter you will read about 11 years later and the friendship between the Potter family and the Weasley family.  
**


	2. Chapter 2: Ten Years Later

**Author note: Sometimes I will use one of the characters view, I will mention it like a little title.**

'It is been ten years after that horrible night in Gordic Hallow, my husband and I are alive and the most important thing is that my two brilliant children are alive with us'. Lilly thought to her while she was preparing a special breakfast to her oldest child, her son is 11 years old today. She was making pancakes and hot chocolate, while her husband was reading a yesterday's kids are a copy of her husband and her: Harry is look like his father but got his mother's eyes and Mia look like her mother but got her father's eyes.  
Now the young family live in the Potter Manor with James's parents and 3 house-elves Lada, Ladee and Lyre. Mr. and Ms. Potter helped to the young family with the kids and with the potion shop that Lilly opened when they moved here. Here in the area, 10 minutes from the house is a little communication living of wizards and there are some shops so one of them is the Potter Potion shop.  
"Harry, Mia it is time to wake up!"

* * *

**Harry**

"Harry, Mia it is time to wake up!" my mom called and I smiled and put my glasses on me and then jumped from the bed. Today it is my 11's birthday, today I will get my latter from the best school ever, 'Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry' and of course today I will celebrate my birthday with my big family: My grand-parents, my parents and Mia, the Weasley family and the Longbottom family in our house.  
"Harry, Mia the breakfast is ready!" now it was my dad who called us.  
"I coming dad!" Mia called back and then I yelled "Me too!"  
I walked downstairs and smell the very good and tasty smell of pancakes  
"Ammm. Yummy!" I heard my younger sister voice and entered the room.  
"Happy Birthday son!" my parents said it hugged me and kissed me. "Happy Birthday Harry!" Mia hugged me and kissed me too. "Children, sit and eat, soon we will go to the Diagon Alley, for that you son will choose your present and meet the Weasley and Longbottom families." My mother said it while giving me my plate. On this time two owls fly through the window. One is from the Daily Prophet that gives the newspaper that usually my father and grandfather are reading it. The other one is from Hogwarts. Finely I get my letter from this school.  
"Harry, it is for you from Hogwarts. Open up!" Mia told me and looked at me with her huge eyes. I opened and started to read it.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr. Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.  
Term begins on September 1.  
Yours sincerely,  
Minerva McGonagall,  
Deputy Headmistress  
Then I unfolded a second piece of paper and read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)

2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emetic Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT

wand cauldron (pewter, standard size 2) set

glass or crystal phials

telescope set

brass scales

Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS.

"Well that was on time, we can buy everything today for you dear, and now definitely start to think for another present and not nimbus 2001 because you not allowed to take it to school" my mom said it to me while she was looking with me in the letter. "Mom, actually I was thinking quit a long time about a prefect present and then I remembered that you mom and dad told me and Mia that when we will go to school we can have an owl for us, so I want to buy an owl today".  
"That's a good idea brother, and maybe for next year we could use your owl for both of us" Mia and I had a 'high five' moment. Then we finish our breakfast quickly and floo to the Diagon Alley.  
We decided to meet the Weasley family near the Leaky Cauldron.

* * *

"Happy Birthday Harry!" Ron and his brothers tell him it and hugged him.  
"Ginny, how are you?" Mia asked her close friend and they started to chatting  
"Hello Arthur, Molly. Are you ready?" James greeted them and they all started to go to the 'Leaky Cauldron'. They met their Hagrid who was talking with Professor Quirrell. "Hagrid, professor how are you?" James asked them suddenly. The two man jumped little bit and then greet the families. "So that's supposed to be Harry and Ron, the new upcoming first's grade aren't you?" Hagrid asked Ron and Harry. "Yes sir we are." Harry said it with a little fair in his voice. Lilly that noticed that her son is faired said "Honey don't be afraid of Hagrid, he is a good person and call him Hagrid".  
"OK mom I will, yes Mrs. Potter we will" both Ron and Harry said it.  
"Guys come and meet one of your new teachers in Hogwarts" Arthur called them,  
"P-P-Potter," stammered Professor Quirrell, grasping Harry's hand, "c-can't t-tell you how p- pleased I am to meet you."  
"What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?"  
"D-Defense Against the D-D-Dark Arts," muttered Professor Quirrell, as though he'd rather not think about it. "N-not that you n-need it, eh, P-P-Potter?" He laughed nervously. "You'll be g-getting all your equipment, I suppose? I've g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires, m-myself." He looked terrified at the very thought. After it the kids had left him and went out after Hagrid and their parents  
"This teacher is little crazy" Ron said it and all the children giggled.  
"James what are you all doing here today?" Hagrid asked him as they started to go through the Diagon Alley to Gringotts. "Well it is Harry's birthday and well Harry got his letter so we are here to buy his things for school". "Oh, right, Harry, Happy Birthday!" Hagrid said it and hugged Harry. "And what do you do here Hagrid?" James asked him and then Hagrid said "Very secret. Hogwarts business." Then James makes the connection to the Order and just said "I got it".  
Then they got out of the bank and dicedied to separate. The woman will go with their children to 'Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions' to get their uniform while the men with the other children will bought some things from the book shop and a pet shop. Mia decided to buy Harry a present. She wants to buy her older brother a beautiful owl. When her father and she entered the shop they saw a big white and beautiful owl, she then said "This one will be perfect for Harry and the name is 'Hedwig', they bought it and went to 'Madam Malkin'.  
In Madam Malkin already was a blonde boy at the same age as Harry and Ron. This boy is Draco Malfoy. His mother Narcissa pays for the cloth and they went out. After Harry finished his father and his sister showed him the owl and he said thank you, he liked it like Mia said he will. The Weasley family went back home, they will come to us at 18:00 and our mothers got to a conclusion that all the children will get everything that they need from my mother's potion shop for free. Then they went to choose the wand in 'Ollivanders'. "Good afternoon," said a soft voice. "Hello," said James. At this word the man looked up and saw the Potters family. "Well what can I do for you James Potter?" he asked and started to get out some wands. "We are here for Harry, soon he will go to Hogwarts and he needs a wand". "Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Harry." Mr. Ollivander moved closer to Harry. "I see that you got your mother's eyes young man, and you young lady got your father's eyes" he said it and then said. "Well, now - Mr. Potter. Let me see." He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"  
"I'm right-handed," said Harry. "Hold out your arm. That's it." He measured Harry from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round his head. As he measured, he took out one of the wands and gave it to Harry.  
"Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try -"  
Harry tried - but he had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched back by Mr. Ollivander.  
"No, no -here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on, try it out."  
Harry tried. And tried. He had no idea what Mr. Ollivander was waiting for. The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the spindly chair, but the more wands Mr. Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become.  
"Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere - I wonder, now - - yes, why not - unusual combination - holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."  
Harry took the wand. He felt a sudden warmth in his fingers. He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls. His parents and Mia clapped and Mr. Ollivander cried, "Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well... how curious... how very curious... "  
"but what's curious?"  
Mr. Ollivander fixed Harry with his pale stare.  
"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather - just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother why, its brother gave you that scar.  
Harry swallowed.  
"Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember... I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter... After all, The Dark Lord did great things - terrible, yes, but great. And thanks god that he is dead." James paid seven gold Galleons for his wand, and they went back home to prepare everything.  
The celebration of Harry's birthday was quite funny, all the boys including me and Ginny went outside to play Quidditch, it was fun to play. Our parents were talking about some stuff, and about the order things.  
"Something happening here under Dumbledore nose and he already knew it but don't know who is the troublemaker for this time" Molly said it while she was looking in her children's lists and on the potion stuff that were on the table ready to take. "Molly, dear we all know that something is happening here from the moment when Hagrid said 'secret stuff', I am sure that something is going to happen this year in school".  
"I will write a letter to the school and will tell Neville to watch out and to put an eye on professor Quirrell, Lilly I suppose that you will tell Snape to protect Harry right?" asked Alice Longbottom.  
"Well I am on it, the night before Harry will go to school I will tell him that no matter if he will be in Gryffindor Severus will protect him and of course if something happen he will owl us" Lilly said it to everybody and then she said, "it is early evening let's come in and play little in the play room with children and then you up to go". She yelled to the children come in and they went to the play room to play. Percy was in the library. Potter's library is very huge and has a lot of books and Percy as you know is a worm book and he must to finish his homework so he already does it there. After some time the families fooled to their homes and the Potters went to sleep.  
Next week will be Harry's first day at Hogwarts.


	3. Chapter 3: First week at Hogwarts

**Author note – I took some parts from the book.**

**Harry**

"Harry can me and your dad come in?" my mom nocked and asked. "Yes of course mom, I need some help, come in" I went to open the door of my room.  
"Did you check everything?" My dad asked me. "Yes dad, Mia helped me to check everything and now I am packing it everything to the suitcase"  
"Let us help you" my mom said and started to put all the stuff into.  
"What about do you want to talk with me mom, dad?" I asked my parents but I already knew what is going and what they want to said to me.  
"Well you must to put an eye on your professor Quirrell and to what happens in Hogwarts, you must to take care yourself and be sure that you and your friends are safe and remember that professor Severus Snape is watching you and he won't do to you nothing because he is your protector, if something strange would happens you must to owl us. Is it understood?"  
"Yes mom, it is understood" I told her and then they hugged me and kissed me. "Son, it is time for bed, have a sweet dreams, today you will have a long day" my dad said it and we went to my bad.  
"Wait for me, Harry I made for you something good and sweet for your first day at school, drinks it." Mia entered to the room and gave me a cup with hot chocolate, whipped cream and marshmallows. "Thank you sis" I told her and give her a kiss. After it my dad and my granddad took my suit down and after it I went to sleep. I was excited because of tomorrow will be the day. First day at best school ever.

**Next Morning**  
"Harry wake up!" my sister Mia shouted from down stairs. I smiled and shot up out of bad, pulling my glasses and went to the bathroom.  
"Harry!" now it was my mom.  
"Coming mom" I called back and went back to my room to dress up.  
I walked downstairs dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. "Good morning" I entered to the kitchen and great everybody. The smell in the kitchen was good. My mom and grandma had made a very delicious breakfast full with a lot of stuff.  
After it we went to the car. While we were driving I asked my dad "Dad, what is Hogwarts alike? Is it the same like in the book of the history of Hogwarts?"  
"Yes, it is the same, and also you will right fit in." we both smiled. When we arrived my dad pulled my trunk and I hold Hedwig.  
When we walked into the train station I saw Ron and his brothers.  
"Ron over here" I yelled and he smiled pushing his trolley towards me. I smiled and walked besides him and his twin brothers Fred and George. Then we saw Neville and his parents Ron yelled "Neville come to here" and then we all walked together towards a pillar.  
"Okay now kids just running and we will follow behind you" dad told me and I nodded letting Ron's brother's go first they made it look easy. Then was Ron, then me and the last was Neville.  
I ran through the wall and smiled when I came out the other side.  
After when we reached the train I waved at my family and moved into the train following Ron's brothers. We all sat together. About 5 minutes later two girls came into our Carriage.  
"Do you mind? Everyone else is full" one of them told us and we all shrugged. One of them was Angelina, she and two Ron's twin brothers play in the Quidditch team of Gryffindor, the other girl was first grade and her name is Hermione Granger. We start to chat and fast enough we got a click, it is fun that I have a friend that she is a girl. About half way of the journey we changed into the robs and some of us ate their food.  
After some time a voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately." 

* * *

Harry's stomach lurched with nerves and Ron, he saw, looked pale under his freckles. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd thronging the corridor.  
The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. I shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and it was a familiar voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry, Ron and Neville?"  
Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.  
"C'mon, follow me - any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!" Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Harry thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much.  
"Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here." There was a loud "Oooooh!"  
The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black take. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.  
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry, Ron, Neville and Hermione sat together.  
"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then - FORWARD!" And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood. "Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.  
Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.  
They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door. Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.  
The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Harry's first thought was that this was not someone to cross.  
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.  
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."  
She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.  
They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Harry could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right -the rest of the school must already be here - but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.  
"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall.  
"The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.  
"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rulebreaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.  
"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."  
Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose. Harry nervously tried to flatten his hair.  
"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."  
She left the chamber. Harry swallowed. "I can't wait to see what the hat will said to me do you think I will be in Gryffindor?" he asked Ron.  
"I hope so, let's wait and see." Ron said it with relief. They looked around anxiously and saw that everyone else looked terrified, too because they don't know what is waiting for them. Only Harry, Ron, and Neville knew. Any second now, Professor McGonagall would come back and lead him to his doom.  
Then something happened that made him jump about a foot in the air - several people behind him screamed.  
"What the -?" He gasped. So did the people around him. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance -"  
"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost - I say, what are you all doing here?"  
A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.  
Nobody answered.  
"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"  
A few people nodded mutely.  
"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."  
"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."  
Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.  
"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."  
Harry got into line behind a boy with sandy hair, with Ron behind him, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.  
Harry had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. But he saw it already in the book and this one is really and more bigger than in the book.  
It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting.  
Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Harry looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. He heard Hermione whisper, "Its bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History."  
"Yea, I know." Harry told her gently.  
Harry quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth - and the hat began to sing:

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffis are true And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

if you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.  
Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.  
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"  
A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moments pause -  
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.  
The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Harry saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.  
"Bones, Susan!"  
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.  
"Boot, Terry!"  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.  
" Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender" became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Harry could see Ron's twin brothers catcalling.  
"Bulstrode, Millicent" then became a Slytherin. Perhaps it was Harry's imagination, after all he'd heard about Slytherin, but he thought they looked like an unpleasant lot. He was starting to feel definitely sick now. He remembered being picked for teams during gym at his old school. He had always been last to be chosen, not because he was no good, but because no one wanted Dudley to think they liked him.  
"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
Sometimes, Harry noticed, the hat shouted out the house at once, but at others it took a little while to decide. "Finnigan, Seamus," the sandy-haired boy next to Harry in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.  
"Granger, Hermione!"  
Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.  
"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat. Ron groaned.  
When Neville was called. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR,"  
"MacDougal, Morag."  
Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"  
Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with himself.  
There weren't many people left now. "Moon" "Nott" "Parkinson" then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" and "Patil" then "Perks, Sally-Anne" and then, at last - "Potter, Harry!"  
As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.  
"Potter, did she say?"  
The Harry Potter?"  
The last thing Harry saw before the hat dropped over his eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at him. Next second he was looking at the black inside of the hat. He waited.  
Hmm," said a small voice in his ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, A my goodness, yes - and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting... So where shall I put you?"  
Harry gripped the edges of the stool and thought, Not Slytherin, not Slytherin.  
"Not Slytherin, eh?" said the small voice. "Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that - no? Well, if you're sure - better be GRYFFINDOR!"  
Harry heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. He took off the hat and walked shakily toward the Gryffindor table. He was so relieved to have been chosen and not put in Slytherin, he hardly noticed that he was getting the loudest cheer yet. Percy the Prefect got up and shook his hand vigorously, while the Weasley twins yelled, "We got Potter! We got Potter!" Harry sat down opposite the ghost in the ruff he'd seen earlier. The ghost patted his arm, giving Harry the sudden, horrible feeling he'd just plunged it into a bucket of ice-cold water.  
He could see the High Table properly now. At the end nearest him sat Hagrid, who caught his eye and gave him the thumbs up. Harry grinned back. And there, in the center of the High Table, in a large gold chair, sat Albus Dumbledore. Harry recognized him at once from once his was at his home. Dumbledore's silver hair was the only thing in the whole hall that shone as brightly as the ghosts. Harry spotted Professor Quirtell, too, the nervous young man from the Leaky Cauldron. He was looking very peculiar in a large purple turban.  
And now there were only three people left to be sorted. "Thomas, Dean," a Black boy even taller than Ron, joined Harry at the Gryffindor table. "Turpin, Lisa," became a Ravenclaw and then it was Ron's turn. He was pale green by now. Harry crossed his fingers under the table and a second later the hat had shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"  
Harry clapped loudly with the rest as Ron collapsed into the chair next to him.  
"Well done, Ron, excellent," said Percy Weasley Pompously across Harry as "Zabini, Blaise," was made a Slytherin. Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.  
Harry looked down at his empty gold plate. He had only just realized how hungry he was. The pumpkin pasties seemed ages ago.  
Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.  
"Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!  
"Thank you!"  
He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. A moment later the big plates were full with all the good food that could be. It was icluded: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs.  
Harry piled his plate with a bit of everything except the peppermints and began to eat. It was all delicious.  
"That does look good," said the ghost in the ruff sadly, watching Harry cut up his steak,  
"Can't you -?"  
I haven't eaten for nearly four hundred years," said the ghost. "I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've in troduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower."  
"I know who you are!" said Ron suddenly. "My brothers told me about you - you're Nearly Headless Nick!"  
"Oh and my dad told me about you" It tooked a moment to Harry recognize him. "I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy -" the ghost began stiffly, but sandy-haired Seamus Finnigan interrupted.  
"Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?" Hermione asked him.  
Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed, as if their little chat wasn't going at all the way he wanted.  
"Like this," he said irritably. He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it properly. Looking pleased at the stunned looks on their faces, Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back onto his neck, coughed, and said, "So - new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable - he's the Slytherin ghost."  
Harry looked over at the Slytherin table and saw a horrible ghost sitting there, with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face, and robes stained with silver blood. He was right next to Malfoy who, Harry was pleased to see, didn't look too pleased with the seating arrangements.  
"How did he get covered in blood?" asked Seamus with great interest.  
"I've never asked," said Nearly Headless Nick delicately.  
When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding - "  
As Harry helped himself to a treacle tart, the talk turned to their families.  
"I'm half-and-half," said Seamus. "Me dad's a Muggle. Mom didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him."  
The others laughed.  
On Harry's other side, Percy Weasley and Hermione were talking about lessons ("I do hope they start right away, there's so much to learn, I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration, you know, turning something into something else, of course, it's supposed to be very difficult-"; "You'll be starting small, just matches into needles and that sort of thing - ").  
Harry, who was starting to feel warm and sleepy, looked up at  
the High Table again. Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet. Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore. Professor Quirrell, in his absurd turban, was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin. This teacher was Severus Snape, the protector of the Potter family.  
It happened very suddenly. Quirrell into Harry's eyes - and a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on Harry's forehead.  
"Ouch!" Harry clapped a hand to his head.  
"What is it?" asked Percy.  
"It's just my scar, it is strange, last time when professor Quirrell talk with me it didn't happen."  
The pain had gone as quickly as it had come. Harder to shake off was the feeling Harry had gotten from the teacher's look - a feeling something bad is going to happen  
"Ok so Professor Quirrell will teach us Defense Against the Dark Arts, so what Professor Snape will teach us?" he asked Percy.  
" Professor Snape teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to - everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape."  
Harry knew it.  
At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.  
"Ahern - just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.  
"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."  
Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.  
"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.  
"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.  
"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."  
Harry laughed, but he was one of the few who did.  
"He's not serious?" he muttered to Percy.  
"Must be," said Percy, frowning at Dumbledore.  
"It's odd, because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere - the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least."  
"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Harry noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed.  
Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.  
"Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!" And the school bellowed, Harry knew what song it is and joined to Ron and Neville:

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,

Teach us something please,

Whether we be old and bald

Or young with scabby knees,

Our heads could do with filling

With some interesting stuff,

For now they're bare and full of air,

Dead flies and bits of fluff,

So teach us things worth knowing,

Bring back what we've forgot,

just do your best, we'll do the rest,

And learn until our brains all rot.

Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest.  
"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"  
The Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. Harry's legs were like lead again, but only because he was so tired and full of food. He was too sleepy even to be surprised that the people in the portraits along the corridors whispered and pointed as they passed, or that twice Percy led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. They climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet, and Harry was just wondering how much farther they had to go when they came to a sudden halt.  
A bundle of walking sticks was floating in midair ahead of them, and as Percy took a step toward them they started throwing themselves at him.  
"Peeves," Percy whispered to the first years. "A poltergeist." He raised his voice, "Peeves - show yourself"  
A loud, rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon, answered.  
"Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?"  
There was a pop, and a little man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross- legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks.  
"Oooooooh!" he said, with an evil cackle. "Ickle Firsties! What fun!"  
He swooped suddenly at them. They all ducked.  
"Go away, Peeves, or the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!" barked Percy.  
Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head. They heard him zooming away, rattling coats of armor as he passed.  
"You want to watch out for Peeves," said Percy, as they set off again. "The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects. Here we are."  
At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.  
"Password?" she said. "Caput Draconis," said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it - Neville needed a leg up - and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs.  
Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. At the top of a spiral staircase - they were obviously in one of the towers - they found their beds at last: five four-posters hung with deep red, velvet curtains. Their trunks had already been brought up. Too tired to talk much, they pulled on their pajamas and fell into bed.  
"Great food, isn't it?" Ron muttered to Harry through the hangings. "Get off, Scabbers! He's chewing my sheets."  
Harry was going to ask Ron if he'd had any of the treacle tart, but he fell asleep almost at once.  
Perhaps Harry had eaten a bit too much, because he had a very strange dream. He was wearing Professor Quirrell's turban, which kept talking to him, telling him he must transfer to Slytherin at once, because it was his destiny. Harry told the turban he didn't want to be in Slytherin; it got heavier and heavier; he tried to pull it off but it tightened painfully - and there was Malfoy, laughing at him as he struggled with it -then Malfoy turned into the hook-nosed teacher, Snape, whose laugh became high and cold - there was a burst of green light and Harry woke, sweating and shaking.  
He rolled over and fell asleep again, and when he woke next day, he didn't remember the dream at all. He decided that on the evening he will owl home and tell everyone what was happen in the great hall.

**The First lessons**

"There, look."

"Where?"

"Next to the tall kid with the red hair."

"Wearing the glasses?"

"Did you see his face?"

"Did you see his scar?"

Whispers followed Harry from the moment he left his dormitory the next day. People lining up outside classrooms stood on tiptoe to get a look at him, or doubled back to pass him in the corridors again, staring. Harry wished they wouldn't, because he was trying to concentrate on finding his way to classes.  
There were a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts: wide, sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones; some that led somewhere different on a Friday; some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump. Then there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place, and doors that weren't really doors at all, but solid walls just pretending. It was also very hard to remember where anything was, because it all seemed to move around a lot. The people in the portraits kept going to visit each other, and Harry was sure the coats of armor could walk.  
The ghosts didn't help, either. It was always a nasty shock when one of them glided suddenly through a door you were trying to open. Nearly Headless Nick was always happy to point new Gryffindors in the right direction, but Peeves the Poltergeist was worth two locked doors and a trick staircase if you met him when you were late for class. He would drop wastepaper baskets on your head, pull rugs from under your feet, pelt you with bits of chalk, or sneak up behind you, invisible, grab your nose, and screech, "GOT YOUR CONK!"  
Even worse than Peeves, if that was possible, was the caretaker, Argus Filch. Harry and Ron managed to get on the wrong side of him on their very first morning. Filch found them trying to force their way through a door that unluckily turned out to be the entrance to the out-of-bounds corridor on the third floor. He wouldn't believe they were lost, was sure they were trying to break into it on purpose, and was threatening to lock them in the dungeons when they were rescued by Professor Quirrell, who was passing.  
Filch owned a cat called Mrs. Norris, a scrawny, dust-colored creature with bulging, lamp like eyes just like Filch's. She patrolled the corridors alone. Break a rule in front of her, put just one toe out of line, and she'd whisk off for Filch, who'd appear, wheezing, two seconds later. Filch knew the secret passageways of the school better than anyone (except perhaps the Weasley twins) and could pop up as suddenly as any of the ghosts. The students all hated him, and it was the dearest ambition of many to give Mrs. Norris a good kick.  
And then, once you had managed to find them, there were the classes themselves. There was a lot more to magic, as Harry quickly found out, than waving your wand and saying a few funny words.  
They had to study the night skies through their telescopes every Wednesday at midnight and learn the names of different stars and the movements of the planets. Three times a week they went out to the greenhouses behind the castle to study Herbology, with a dumpy little witch called Professor Sprout, where they learned how to take care of all the strange plants and fungi, and found out what they were used for.  
Easily the most boring class was History of Magic, which was the only one taught by a ghost. Professor Binns had been very old  
indeed when he had fallen asleep in front of the staff room fire and got up next morning to teach, leaving his body behind him. Binns droned on and on while they scribbled down names and dates, and got Emetic the Evil and Uric the Oddball mixed up.  
Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was a tiny little wizard who had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk. At the start of their first class he took the roll call, and when he reached Harry's name he gave an excited squeak and toppled out of sight.  
Professor McGonagall was again different. Harry had been quite right to think she wasn't a teacher to cross. Strict and clever, she gave them a talking-to the moment they sat down in her first class.  
"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."  
"I can say that sometimes James Potter, your dad Harry will come here to teach you stuff" Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again. They were all very impressed and couldn't wait to get started, but soon realized they weren't going to be changing the furniture into animals for a long time. After taking a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. By the end of the lesson, only Hermione Granger had made any difference to her match; Professor McGonagall showed the class how it had gone all silver and pointy and gave Hermione a rare smile.  
The class everyone had really been looking forward to was Defense Against the Dark Arts, but Quirrell's lessons turned out to be a bit of a joke. His classroom smelled strongly of garlic, which everyone said was to ward off a vampire he'd met in Romania and was afraid would be coming back to get him one of these days. His turban, he told them, had been given to him by an African prince as a thank-you for getting rid of a troublesome zombie, but they weren't sure they believed this story. For one thing, when Seamus Finnigan asked eagerly to hear how Quirrell had fought off the zombie, Quirrell went pink and started talking about the weather; for another, they had noticed that a funny smell hung around the turban, and the Weasley twins insisted that it was stuffed full of garlic as well, so that Quirrell was protected wherever he went. At the end of the day he owl home his latter and on the next morning he got the answer from his mother:

' Don't worry dear, thanks for telling us, remember to take yourself out of danger  
much love  
Mom'.

**First Potion lesson**  
Friday was an important day for Harry and Ron. They finally managed to find their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast without getting lost once.  
"What have we got today?" Harry asked Ron as he poured sugar on his porridge."Double Potions with the Slytherins," said Ron. "Snape's Head of Slytherin House. They say he always favors them - we'll be able to see if it's true."  
"Wish McGonagall favored us, " said Harry. Professor McGonagall was head of Gryffindor House, but it hadn't stopped her from giving them a huge pile of homework the day before.  
Just then, the mail arrived. but it had given him a bit of a shock on the first morning, when about a hundred owls had suddenly streamed into the Great Hall during breakfast, circling the tables until they saw their owners, and dropping letters and packages onto their laps.  
After his mother's letter Hedwig didn't bring anything to him. She sometimes flew in to nibble his ear and have a bit of toast before going off to sleep in the owlery with the other school owls. This morning, however, she fluttered down between the marmalade and the sugar bowl and dropped a note onto Harry's plate. Harry tore it open at once. It said, in a very untidy scrawl:

Dear Harry,  
I know you get Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three?  
I want to hear all about your first week. Send us an answer back with Hedwig.  
Hagrid

Harry borrowed Ron's quill, scribbled Yes, please, see you later on the back of the note, and sent Hedwig off again.  
It was lucky that Harry had tea with Hagrid to look forward to, because the Potions lesson turned out to be the worst thing that had happened to him so far.  
Harry thought that it will be easy for him because all the summer he helped his mother in her shop so he had knew some stuff. But by the end of the first Potions lesson, he knew he'd been wrong. Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle, and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls.  
Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the roll call, and like Flitwick, he paused at Harry's name but he didn't said nothing, just looked at him and showed a little smile to him, Harry understand it.  
"Ah, Yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. I need to talk with you later, please don't go up, it won't be for much time."  
Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands. Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes were black like Hagrid's, but they had none of Hagrid's warmth. They were cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels.  
"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word - like Professor McGonagall, Snape had y caught every word - like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."  
More silence followed this little speech. Harry and Ron exchanged looks with raised eyebrows. Hermione Granger was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead.  
"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Harry thought a little and then answered  
" wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death" said Harry. Snape's lips curled into a little smile. "5 points to Gryffindor" he said. "Well what about this. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"  
"A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons."  
"Well I see that you had helped your mother in her shop, isn't it?"  
"Yes Professor" Harry looked to his eyes deeply.  
"Well done, I give 10 more points if you answered me to the last question:  
What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"  
After a little silence Harry answered "Monkshood and Wolfsbane are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite, is I right?" Snape clap hands and said "Yes it is right you got your points and now I want that you tell it again to everyone and you will copy it to your notes" here was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment.  
For the long time Gryffindor don't get so many points in one lesson such as the Potions lesson. Later, Snape put them all into pairs and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. He swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone except Malfoy, whom he seemed to like. He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Malfoy had stewed his horned slugs when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon. Neville was with Seamus and it was a quit silence but for it all the pairs where were Gryffindor got 2 more points while the Slytherins students got 5 points each one. The lesson finished, Ron went outside to wait for his friend while Harry went to Snape's office.

* * *

**Harry**

"Potter, have a sit" Snape told me and immediately I sat on one of the chairs that were in front of his desk. On his desk I noticed a letter with my mother's handwritten style, I recognize it immediately and already knew what this talk will be about.  
"Well, I got a letter from your mom. She wrote that on the feast on September 1st before we started to eat you saw Professor Quirrell and me talking and then when he looked at you, suddenly your scar hurt, right?" I nod and he continued "My question is: is that your first time that it hurts?" I thought about if tell him the dream and then decided that I should to tell him, so I told him that I had that dream and then my scar hurt again. But when I was at his lesson everything was alright. Also I told him that yesterday when I came back from the library I saw him and when I greeted him he greeted me back and then he continue on his way, when he was with his back to me I heard someone said him something and i told him that it was a sound like the voice of the Dark Lord. After all of this he only nod and said "Don't worry, I handle from it, if something will happened to you, you can always come here and tell me, it is my duty to protect you. You free to go" on this words i only said "Thank you Professor for everything" and I went to Ron.  
"Why it takes you so much time?" He asked me. "Is it about the protector stuff?" I only nodded because we were entered to the great hall for lunch.  
At five to three Harry and Ron left the castle and made their way across the grounds. Hagrid lived in a small wooden house on the edge of the forbidden forest. A crossbow and a pair of galoshes were outside the front door.  
When Harry knocked they heard a frantic scrabbling from inside and several booming barks. Then Hagrid's voice rang out, saying, "Back, Fang - back."  
Hagrid's big, hairy face appeared in the crack as he pulled the door open.  
"Hang on," he said. "Back, Fang."  
He let them in, struggling to keep a hold on the collar of an enormous black boarhound.  
There was only one room inside. Hams and pheasants were hanging from the ceiling, a copper kettle was boiling on the open fire, and in the corner stood a massive bed with a patchwork quilt over it.  
"Make yerselves at home," said Hagrid, letting go of Fang, who bounded straight at Ron and started licking his ears. Like Hagrid, Fang was clearly not as fierce as he looked. Hagrid, was pouring boiling water into a large teapot and putting rock cakes onto a plate.  
"How is Charley?" Hagrid asked Ron "I liked him a lot - great with animals." Ron told Hagrid all about Charlie's work with dragons and after it they changed the subjects about school. The rock cakes were shapeless lumps with raisins that almost broke their teeth, but Harry and Ron pretended to be enjoying them as they told Hagrid all about their first -lessons. Fang rested his head on Harry's knee and drooled all over his robes. Harry and Ron were delighted to hear Hagrid call Fitch "that old git."  
"An' as fer that cat, Mrs. Norris, I'd like ter introduce her to Fang sometime. D'yeh know, every time I go up ter the school, she follows me everywhere? Can't get rid of her - Fitch puts her up to it."  
Harry told Hagrid about Snape's lesson. Hagrid just said "Good job, Lilly did with you" and then continue to listen. Harry wondered if Hagrid had changed the subject on purpose. While Ron told Hagrid all about Charlie's work with dragons, Harry was looking on some pictures he found there his dad with his best friends and then he found his mother with Professor Snape and just smiled to himself.  
As Harry and Ron walked back to the castle for dinner, their pockets weighed down with rock cakes they'd been too polite to refuse, Harry thought that none of the lessons he'd had so far had given him as much to think about as tea with Hagrid. Next day they made homework and spend the all-day outside while it was still worm enough.


	4. Chapter 4: First two monthes in Hogwarts

**Author note – I took some parts from the book. **

After a week Harry started to get a Daily Prophet, his father made a deal with them that Harry will get a newspaper in the mornings so today he got a newspaper and it was written there about Gringotts. He started to read it:

GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST  
Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July, widely believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unknown.  
Gringotts goblins today insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied the same day.  
"But we're not telling you what was in there, so keep your noses out if you know what's good for you," said a Gringotts spokes goblin this afternoon.

Harry remembered Ron telling him on the train that someone had tried to rob Gringotts, but Ron hadn't mentioned the date.  
"Ron!" said Harry, "that Gringotts break-in happened on my birthday! It might've been happening while we were there! And not only we were there, Hagrid were there too and we saw the package. I guess that the thief wanted to get this package but Hagrid was earlier than him." "It must was in the place where Hagrid been there after we met him and he had talked with our parents and we heard all of this, you think that Quirrell or Snape up to something?" Ron asked Harry quietly. "Well, I don't think that Snape is up to something, but definitely I can tell you that Quirrell is up to something but we can't said it that he is up to something because we don't have any evidence" Ron only nodded and it was enough to Harry to understand that he is right. Something really bad happening here because Harry saw couple of time Professor Quirrell near the third corridor.  
'I must to tell professor Snape about it but I could only see him on the homework time'. Harry decided that after his first flying lesson he will send a letter to his family and tell them what he thinks about Gringotts, even he didn't allowed to know about it. Today after they will finish their homework they will have their first flying lesson, they have it with Slytherin as usual. Harry is sick of seeing Malfoy laughing at him and make so attention about that Harry is famous and he don't.  
Malfoy certainly did talk about flying a lot. He complained loudly about first years never getting on the house Quidditch teams and told long, boastful stories that always seemed to end with him narrowly escaping Muggles in helicopters. He wasn't the only one, though: the way Seamus Finnigan told it, he'd spent most of his childhood zooming around the countryside on his broomstick. Even Ron would tell anyone who'd listen about the time he'd almost hit a hang glider on Charlie's old broom. Everyone talked about Quidditch constantly.  
Neville had flown sometimes but he preheated to be on the ground like in Harry's birthday he was the judge. Dean Thomas never flown on broom because he came from Muggle family, even though he was excited.  
Hermione Granger was almost as nervous about flying as Dean was. This was something you couldn't learn by heart out of a book - not that she hadn't tried.  
At breakfast on Thursday she bored them all stupid with flying tips she'd gotten out of a library book called Quidditch Through the Ages. Neville was hanging on to her every word, desperate for anything that might help him hang on to his broomstick later, but everybody else was very pleased when Hermione's lecture was interrupted by the arrival of the mail.  
Harry got a letter from Mia that wishes him a good weekend and a successful first flying lesson, she also remind to check on the trophy room, their dad's sheet that was a seeker for Gryffindor from grade 2. Also Harry got some sweets from his mom. Every weekend he got it.  
A barn owl brought Neville a small package from his parents or his grandmother. He opened it excitedly and showed them a glass ball the size of a large marble, which seemed to be full of white smoke.  
"It's a Remembrall! From my grandmother" he explained. "My grandmother knows I forget things - this tells you if there's something you've forgotten to do. Look, you hold it tight like this and if it turns red - oh..." His face fell, because the Remembrall had suddenly glowed scarlet,  
"You've forgotten something..."  
Neville was trying to remember what he'd forgotten when Draco Malfoy, who was passing the Gryffindor table, snatched the Remembrall out of his hand.  
Harry and Ron jumped to their feet. They were half hoping for a reason to fight Malfoy, but Professor McGonagall, who could spot trouble quicker than any teacher in the school, was there in a flash.  
"What's going on?"  
"Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor."  
Scowling, Malfoy quickly dropped the Remembrall back on the table.  
"Just looking," he said, and he sloped away with Crabbe and Goyle behind him.  
After Harry finished his homework, he noticed that he still had enough time so he went to Snape to hand his work and to talk with him and here is the conversation:

**Harry  
**  
"Amm professor, do you have a minute for me?" I asked professor Snape while I was walking and giving him my work for his lesson.  
"Of course I have a minute for you Potter but is it necessary to talk here and not in my office?" Snape asked me with a nervous look at me.  
" You see sir, in more 10 minutes I will have my first flying lesson and after it I will go to the owlly to write a thank latter to my sister, so if it is ok I want to talk with you now but if you want and have time for me later right after the lesson I will come to you and then I will go to the owlly" I finished and then he asked  
"What is bothering you Potter?"  
"Well I read in the Daily Prophet about Gringotts and got a conclusion that might be wrong but I am not sure that it is wrong. Well on that same date I and my family were in Gringotts too and Hagrid was there too and he said to my father that he was there for Hogwarts business and before him we met Quirrell and now couple of times I see him near the third corridor, I think that he is up to something, that's all professor" I finished and wait for what he will say.  
"Thanks to let me know this, you really helpful, now I only want that you be careful on your broom"  
"Oh don't worry about it Professor, I am like my dad, we both fly very well so it is ok. Flying for me is like nature or something" Harry started to chuckle and then Ron came to them and hand his work to professor Snape and asked me "You ready?" I said yes and then said thank you professor and went after him. 

* * *

**The Flying Lesson:**

Harry, Ron, and the other Gryffindors hurried down the front steps onto the grounds for their first flying lesson. It was a clear, breezy day, and the grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the sloping lawns toward a smooth, flat lawn on the opposite side of the grounds to the forbidden forest, whose trees were swaying darkly in the distance.  
The Slytherins were already there, and so were twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground. Harry had heard Fred and George Weasley complain about the school brooms, saying that some of them started to vibrate if you flew too high, or always flew slightly to the left.  
Their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had short, gray hair, and yellow eyes like a hawk.  
"Well, what are you all waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."  
Harry glanced down at his broom. It was old and some of the twigs stuck out at odd angles. His broomstick at home is better, he also knew that when he will join the Quidditch team, he hope so his family will buy to him the newest broom. "Stick out your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say 'Up!"'  
"UP everyone shouted.  
Harry's broom jumped into his hand at once, but it was one of the few that did. Hermione Granger's had simply rolled over on the ground, and Neville's hadn't moved at all.  
Madam Hooch then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows correcting their grips. Harry and Ron were delighted when she told Malfoy he'd been doing it wrong for years.  
"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," said Madam Hooch. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle - three - two -"  
But Neville, nervous and jumpy and frightened of being left on the ground, pushed off hard before the whistle had touched Madam Hooch's lips.  
"Come back, boy!" she shouted, but Neville was rising straight up like a cork shot out of a bottle - twelve feet - twenty feet. Harry saw his scared white face look down at the ground falling away, saw him gasp, slip sideways off the broom and -WHAM - a thud and a nasty crack and Neville lay facedown on the grass in a heap. His broomstick was still rising higher and higher, and started to drift lazily toward the forbidden forest and out of sight.  
Madam Hooch was bending over Neville, her face as white as his.  
"Broken wrist," Harry heard her mutter. "Come on, boy - it's all right, up you get."  
She turned to the rest of the class.  
"None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch.' Come on, dear."  
Neville, his face tear-streaked, clutching his wrist, hobbled off with Madam Hooch, who had her arm around him. No sooner were they out of earshot than Malfoy burst into laughter.  
"Did you see his face, the great lump?" The other Slytherins joined in.  
"Shut up, Malfoy," snapped Parvati Patil.  
"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" said Pansy Parkinson, a hard-faced Slytherin girl. "Never thought you'd like fat little crybabies, Parvati."  
"Look!" said Malfoy, darting forward and snatching something out of the grass. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him." The Remembrall glittered in the sun as he held it up.  
"Give that here, Malfoy," said Harry quietly. Everyone stopped talking to watch.  
Malfoy smiled nastily.  
"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find - how about - up a tree?"  
"Give it here!" Harry yelled, but Malfoy had leapt onto his broomstick and taken off. He hadn't been lying, he could fly well. Hovering level with the topmost branches of an oak he called, "Come and get it, Potter!"  
Harry grabbed his broom.  
"No!" shouted Hermione Granger. "Madam Hooch told us not to move - you'll get us all into trouble." Harry ignored her. Blood was pounding in his ears. He mounted the broom and kicked hard against the ground and up, up he soared; air rushed through his hair, and his robes whipped out behind him -and in a rush of fierce joy he realized he'd found something he could do without being taught - this was easy, this was wonderful, like at home. He pulled his broomstick up a little to take it even higher, and heard screams and gasps of girls back on the ground and an admiring whoop from Ron. He turned his broomstick sharply to face Malfoy in midair. Malfoy looked stunned.  
"Give it here," Harry called, "or I'll knock you off that broom!" "Oh, yeah?" said Malfoy, trying to sneer, but looking worried.  
Harry knew, somehow, what to do. He leaned forward and grasped the broom tightly in both hands, and it shot toward Malfoy like a javelin. Malfoy only just got out of the way in time; Harry made a sharp about-face and held the broom steady. A few people below were clapping.  
"No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck, Malfoy," Harry called. The same thought seemed to have struck Malfoy.  
"Catch it if you can, then!" he shouted, and he threw the glass ball high into the air and streaked back toward the ground.  
Harry saw, as though in slow motion, the ball rise up in the air and then start to fall. He leaned forward and pointed his broom handle down - next second he was gathering speed in a steep dive, racing the ball - wind whistled in his ears, mingled with the screams of people watching - he stretched out his hand - a foot from the ground he caught it, just in time to pull his broom straight, and he toppled gently onto the grass with the Remembrall clutched safely in his fist.  
"HARRY POTTER!"  
His heart sank faster than he'd just dived. Professor McGonagall was running toward them. He got to his feet, trembling.  
"Never - in all my time at Hogwarts -"  
Professor McGonagall was almost speechless with shock, and her glasses flashed furiously, "- how dare you - might have broken your neck -"  
"It wasn't his fault, Professor -"  
"Be quiet, Miss Patil  
"But Malfoy -"  
"That's enough, Mr. Weasley. Potter, follow me, now."  
Harry caught sight of Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle's triumphant faces as he left, walking numbly in Professor McGonagall's wake as she strode toward the castle. He was going to be expelled, he just knew it. He wanted to say something to defend himself, but there seemed to be something wrong with his voice. Professor McGonagall was sweeping along without even looking at him; he started to think about that he broke the rule but then he got to think maybe everything will be good and he will join to the Quidditch team?  
Up the front steps, up the marble staircase inside, and still Professor McGonagall didn't say a word to him. She wrenched open doors and marched along corridors with Harry trotting miserably behind her. Professor McGonagall stopped outside a classroom. She opened the door and poked her head inside.  
"Excuse me, Professor Flitwick, could I borrow Wood for a moment?"  
"Follow me, you two," said Professor McGonagall, and they marched on up the corridor, Wood looking curiously at Harry.  
"In here."  
Professor McGonagall pointed them into a classroom that was empty except for Peeves, who was busy writing rude words on the blackboard.  
"Out, Peeves!" she barked. Peeves threw the chalk into a bin, which clanged loudly, and he scooped out cursing. Professor McGonagall slammed the door behind him and turned to face the two boys.  
"Potter, this is Oliver Wood. Wood - I've found you a Seeker."  
Wood's expression changed from puzzlement to delight.  
"Are you serious, Professor?"  
"Absolutely," said Professor McGonagall crisply. "The boy's a natural. I've never seen anything like it, well I seen once, James Potter his father but it was only when he was in grade 2. Was that your first time on a broomstick, Potter?"  
"No, Professor. I regularly flowed with my dad and younger sister in our backyard of the Potter Manor. He was excited and now he must to said to Professor that his parents will buy a better broom for him, the school don't need to do it for him. "He caught that thing in his hand after a fifty-foot dive," Professor McGonagall told Wood. "Didn't even scratch himself. Charlie Weasley couldn't have done it and so James too." Wood was now looking as though all his dreams had come true at once.  
"Ever seen a game of Quidditch, Potter?" he asked excitedly.  
"Wood's captain of the Gryffindor team," Professor McGonagall explained.  
"He's just the build for a Seeker, too," said Wood, now walking around Harry and staring at him. "Light - speedy - we'll have to get him a decent broom, Professor - a Nimbus Two Thousand or a Cleansweep Seven, I'd say."  
I shall speak to Professor Dumbledore and see if we can't bend the first-year rule. Heaven knows, we need a better team than last year. Flattened in that last match by Slytherin, I couldn't look Severus Snape in the face for weeks..."  
Professor McGonagall peered sternly over her glasses at Harry.  
"I want to hear you're training hard, Potter, or I may change my mind about punishing you."  
Then she suddenly smiled.  
"Your father would have be proud now, I am going now to my office to write your parents a letter and don't worry about the broom I will take care for it." she said. "But Professor, I am going now to the owlly to write a thank letter to my mom about the sweets and new socks that she sent me but if it ok from you write to her that I really thank them and I love them"  
"Of course I will. Don't worry Harry" she said and went out of the room. The boys did the same. Harry comeback to Gryffindor room where his friends were waiting for him.  
"So?" Parvati asked him  
"I am in the team! I am the new and the youngest seeker in the Gryffindor team!" Harry shouted and everyone screamed and cheered.  
Later it was dinnertime. "Can you believe that you are the youngest seeker from all over the history of Quidditch in Hogwarts?" Ron asked Harry and then continued "But first years never - you must be the youngest house player in about a century" said Harry, shoveling pie into his mouth. He felt particularly hungry after the excitement of the afternoon. "Wood and professor McGonagall told me."  
Ron was so amazed, so impressed, he just sat and gaped at Harry.  
"I start training next week," said Harry.  
Fred and George Weasley now came into the hall, spotted Harry, and hurried over.  
"Well done," said George in a low voice. "Wood told us. We're on the team too - Beaters."  
"I tell you, we're going to win that Quidditch cup for sure this year," said Fred. "We haven't won since Charlie left, but this year's team is going to be brilliant. You must be good, Harry, Wood was almost skipping when he told us."  
"Anyway, we've got to go, Lee Jordan reckons he's found a new secret passageway out of the school."  
"Bet it's that one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy that we found in our first week. See you."  
Fred and George had hardly disappeared when someone far less welcome turned up: Malfoy, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle.  
"Having a last meal, Potter? When are you getting the train back to your family?"  
"No, he isn't! Get out of here it isn't your table and isn't your business" said Neville who came back from the nurse.  
After the weekend Harry started his trainings, but the broom was bad and he couldn't fly on his 100%, but after a week since he is a Quidditch player he got his broom. When it was the time for the mail in the Great Hall as usual, everyone's attention was caught at once by a long, thin package carried by six large screech owls. And a beautiful whit owl was flying next to them. Harry was just as interested as everyone else to see what was in this large parcel, and was amazed when the owls soared down and dropped it right in front of him, knocking his bacon to the floor. They had hardly fluttered out of the way when Hedwig dropped two letters on top of the parcel and sat on his shoulder.  
Harry ripped open one of the letters first, which was lucky, because it said:

DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE.  
It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand, but I don't want everybody knowing you've got a broomstick or they'll all want one. Oliver Wood will meet you tonight on the Quidditch field at seven o'clock for your first training session with your new broom.  
Professor McGonagall

Harry had difficulty hiding his glee as he handed the note to Ron to read.  
"A Nimbus Two Thousand!" Ron moaned enviously. "I've never even touched one." Then the other letter was from his parents that said that they are very happy and proud for him, they also said that when it will be Halloween and his first game match they will come and that Ron's brothers will be on the Christmas holiday in the Potter Manor. After Harry and Ron finished eat their breakfast they left the hall quickly, wanting to unwrap the broomstick in private before their first class, but halfway across the entrance hall they found the way upstairs barred by Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy seized the package from Harry and felt it.  
"That's a broomstick," he said, throwing it back to Harry with a mixture of jealousy and spite on his face. "You'll be in for it this time, Potter, first years aren't allowed them."  
Ron couldn't resist it.  
"It's not any old broomstick," he said, "it's a Nimbus Two Thousand. What did you say you've got at home, Malfoy, a Comet Two Sixty?" Ron grinned at Harry. "Comets look flashy, but they're not in the same league as the Nimbus."  
"What would you know about it, Weasley, you couldn't afford half the handle," Malfoy snapped back. "I suppose you and your brothers have to save up twig by twig."  
Before Ron could answer, Professor Flitwick appeared at Malfoy's elbow.  
"Not arguing, I hope, boys?" he squeaked.  
"Potter's been sent a broomstick, Professor," said Malfoy quickly.  
"Yes, yes, that's right," said Professor Flitwick, beaming at Harry. "Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Potter. And what model is it?"  
"A Nimbus Two Thousand, sit," said Harry, fighting not to laugh at the look of horror on Malfoy's face. "And it's really thanks to Malfoy here that I've got it," he added.  
Harry and Ron headed upstairs, smothering their laughter at Malfoy's obvious rage and confusion. "Well, it's true," Harry chortled as they reached the top of the marble staircase, "If he hadn't stolen Neville's Remembrall I wouln't be on the team..."  
"So I suppose you think that's a reward for breaking rules?" came an angry voice from just behind them. Hermione was stomping up the stairs, looking disapprovingly at the package in Harry's hand.  
"I thought you weren't speaking to us?" said Harry.  
"Yes, don't stop now," said Ron, "it's doing us so much good."  
Hermione marched away with her nose in the air.  
Harry had a lot of trouble keeping his mind on his lessons that day. It kept wandering up to the dormitory where his new broomstick was lying under his bed, or straying off to the Quidditch field where he will try his broom tonight. He bolted his dinner that evening without noticing what he was eating, and then rushed upstairs with Ron to unwrap the Nimbus Two Thousand at last.  
"Wow," Ron sighed, as the broomstick rolled onto Harry's bedspread.  
Even Harry, who knew nothing about the different brooms, thought it looked wonderful. Sleek and shiny, with a mahogany handle, it had a long tail of neat, straight twigs and Nimbus Two Thousand written in gold near the top.  
As seven o'clock drew nearer, Harry left the castle and set off in the dusk toward the Quidditch field. Hundreds of seats were raised in stands around the field so that the spectators were high enough to see what was going on. At either end of the field were three golden poles with hoops on the end. Too eager to fly again to wait for Wood, Harry mounted his broomstick and kicked off from the ground. What a feeling - he swooped in and out of the goal posts and then sped up and down the field. The Nimbus Two Thousand turned wherever he wanted at his lightest touch.  
"Hey, Potter, come down!'  
Oliver Wood had arrived. fie was carrying a large wooden crate under his arm. Harry landed next to him.  
"Very nice," said Wood, his eyes glinting. "I see what McGonagall meant... you really are a natural, and now even better."  
"Wood, I know the rules and all the balls, but I don't know what stands each other player from the team is" Harry said to him and then Wood only nod and opened the crate. Inside were four different-sized balls.  
"As you know, Quidditch is easy enough to understand, even if it's not too easy to play. There are seven players on each side. Now three of them are called Chasers."  
"Three Chasers," Harry repeated, as Wood took out a bright red ball this is the Quaffle. "The Chasers throw the Quaffle to each other and try and get it through one of the hoops to score a goal. Ten points every time the Quaffle goes through one of the hoops. Follow me?"  
"The Chasers throw the Quaffle and put it through the hoops to score," Harry recited.  
"Now, there's another player on each side who's called the Keeper -I'm Keeper for Gryffindor. I have to fly around our hoops and stop the other team from scoring."  
"Three Chasers, one Keeper," said Harry, who was determined to remember it all. "And they play with the Quaffle. Okay, got that. So what are they for?" He pointed at the three balls left inside the box.  
"I'll show you now," said Wood. "Take this."  
He handed Harry a small club, a bit like a short baseball bat.  
"I'm going to show you what the Bludgers do," Wood said. "These two are the Bludgers."  
He showed Harry two identical balls, jet black and slightly smaller than the red Quaffle. Harry noticed that they seemed to be straining to escape the straps holding them inside the box.  
"Stand back," Wood warned Harry. He bent down and freed one of the Bludgers.  
At once, the black ball rose high in the air and then pelted straight at Harry's face. Harry swung at it with the bat to stop it from breaking his nose, and sent it zigzagging away into the air - it zoomed around their heads and then shot at Wood, who dived on top of it and managed to pin it to the ground.  
"See?" Wood panted, forcing the struggling Bludger back into the crate and strapping it down safely. "The Bludgers rocket around, trying to knock players off their brooms. That's why you have two Beaters on each team - the Weasley twins are ours - it's their job to protect their side from the Bludgers and try and knock them toward the other team. So - think you've got all that?"  
"Three Chasers try and score with the Quaffle; the Keeper guards the goal posts; the Beaters keep the Bludgers away from their team," Harry reeled off.  
"Very good," said Wood.  
"Er - have the Bludgers ever killed anyone here in the school?" Harry asked, hoping he sounded offhand.  
"Never at Hogwarts. We've had a couple of broken jaws but nothing worse than that. Now, the last member of the team is the Seeker. That's you. And you don't have to worry about the Quaffle or the Bludgers unless they crack my head open." "Don't worry, the Weasleys are more than a match for the Bludgers - I mean, they're like a pair of human Bludgers themselves." Wood reached into the crate and took out the fourth and last ball. Compared with the Quaffle and the Bludgers, it was tiny, about the size of a large walnut. It was bright gold and had little fluttering silver wings. "This," said Wood, "is the Golden Snitch, and it's the most important ball of the lot. It's very hard to catch because it's so fast and difficult to see. It's the Seeker's job to catch it. You've got to weave in and out of the Chasers, Beaters, Bludgers, and Quaffle to get it before the other team's Seeker, because whichever Seeker catches the Snitch wins his team an extra hundred and fifty points, so they nearly always win. That's why Seekers get fouled so much. A game of Quidditch only ends when the Snitch is caught, so it can go on for ages - I think the record is three months, they had to keep bringing on substitutes so the players could get some sleep. "Well, that's it - any questions?" Harry shook his head. He understood what he had to do all right, it was doing it that was going to be the problem. "We won't practice with the Snitch yet," said Wood, carefully shutting it back inside the crate, "it's too dark, we might lose it. Let's try you out with a few of these."  
He pulled a bag of ordinary golf balls out of his pocket and a few minutes later, he and Harry were up in the air, Wood throwing the golf balls as hard as he could in every direction for Harry to catch. Harry didn't miss a single one, and Wood was delighted. After half an hour, night had really fallen and they couldn't carry on.  
"That Quidditch cup'll have our name on it this year," said Wood happily as they trudged back up to the castle. "I wouldn't be surprised if you turn out better than Charlie Weasley, and he could have played for England if he hadn't gone off chasing dragons."  
Perhaps it was because he was now so busy, what with Quidditch practice three evenings a week on top of all his homework, but Harry could hardly believe it when he realized that he'd already been at Hogwarts two months. The castle felt more like home than his home that still he missed. His lessons, too, were becoming more and more interesting now that they had mastered the basics.

* * *

**Halloween:**

On Halloween morning they woke to the delicious smell of baking pumpkin wafting through the corridors. Even better, Professor Flitwick announced in Charms that he thought they were ready to start making objects fly, something they had all been dying to try since they'd seen him make Neville's toad zoom around the classroom. Professor Flitwick put the class into pairs to practice. Harry's partner was Seamus Finnigan (which was a relief, because Neville had been trying to catch his eye). Ron, however, was to be working with Hermione Granger. It was hard to tell whether Ron or Hermione was angrier about this. She hadn't spoken to either of them since the day Harry's broomstick had arrived.  
"Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practicing!" squeaked Professor Flitwick, perched on top of his pile of books as usual. "Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick. And saying the magic words properly is very important, too - never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest."  
It was very difficult. Harry and Seamus swished and flicked, but the feather they were supposed to be sending skyward just lay on the desktop. Seamus got so impatient that he prodded it with his wand and set fire to it - Harry had to put it out with his hat. But on the next time, Harry's feather was little bit in the air and for that he got to Gryffindor 5 points.  
Ron, at the next table, wasn't having much more luck.  
"Wingardium Leviosa!" he shouted, waving his long arms like a windmill.  
"You're saying it wrong," Harry heard Hermione snap. "It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the 'gar' nice and long."  
"You do it, then, if you're so clever," Ron snarled.  
Hermione rolled up the sleeves of her gown, flicked her wand, and said, "Wingardium Leviosa!"  
Their feather rose off the desk and hovered about four feet above their heads.  
"Oh, well done!" cried Professor Flitwick, clapping. "Everyone see here, Miss Granger's done it!"  
Ron was in a very bad mood by the end of the class. "It's no wonder no one can stand her," he said to Harry as they pushed their way into the crowded corridor, "she's a nightmare, honestly. "  
Someone knocked into Harry as they hurried past him. It was Hermione. Harry caught a glimpse of her face - and was startled to see that she was in tears.  
"I think she heard you."  
"So?" said Ron, but he looked a bit uncomfortable. "She must've noticed she's got no friends."  
"Ron it isn't right!" Harry yelled at him and started to run after Hermione and shouted "Hermione wait for me" she stopped and waited to him.  
"Don't listening to him, he felt from his bed today and waked up on his left feet, come with us please" then they went together.  
Hermione was all the afternoon with Harry and Ron.  
On their way down to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast, Harry noticed a familiar girl standing near the door and talking with Professor Flitwick that was his younger sister Mia, next to them were his parents that were chatting with Professor McGonagall.  
"Mom, Dad, Mia!" he yelled and came fast downstairs. "How are you?" he asked them while hugging them and kissed them. "Oh, Mister Potter I was now telling your parents about your wonderful start at my lesson today, oh btw Miss Granger I forgot to give you 20 points for your success today, and for you Mister Weasley 10 points for being her partner. Well done!" and then they all went to the Great Hall. Harry's parents sat near the teachers and Mia decided to join to her brother and his friends.

**Mia**  
"So, Mia you will be here next year right? Hermione asked me.  
"I will be here next year with Ron's sister Ginny." And we continue to chat until we sat. While we were walking I just said "Wow!" and look up at the 'real' sky where were a thousand live bats fluttered from the walls and ceiling while a thousand more swooped over the tables in low black clouds, making the candles in the pumpkins stutter. The feast appeared suddenly on the golden plates, as it had at the start-of-term banquet.

Harry was just helping himself to a baked potato and looked after how his sister eats her pumpkin pie and talking with Sir Nicholas when Professor Quirrell came sprinting into the hall, his turban askew and terror on his face. Everyone stared as he reached Professor Dumbledore's chair, slumped against the table, and gasped, "Troll - in the dungeons - thought you ought to know."  
"How do you know?" Dumbledore asked him  
"I was on my way back from the third… oops, never mind" and he then sank to the floor in a dead faint.  
There was uproar. It took several purple firecrackers exploding from the end of Professor Dumbledore's wand to bring silence.  
"Prefects," he rumbled, "lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!" and then he and some of the teachers included Harry's parents went to find him. Snape came to Mia and said to her to follow him to Dumbledore's office to wait there.  
Percy was in his element.  
"Follow me! Stick together, first years! No need to fear the troll if you follow my orders! Stay close behind me, now. Make way, first years coming through! Excuse me, I'm a prefect!"  
"How could a troll get in?" Harry asked as they climbed the stairs.  
"Don't ask me, they're supposed to be really stupid," said Ron.  
"Maybe Peeves let it in for a Halloween joke."  
"Or maybe it is Snape that said to me that I was right about Quirrell and now all of the teacher check it, but still we just want to see if it real he but still we don't have any evidences." "Harry, I think you right. Maybe we try to hear from Hagrid what was in the package and then we will know what's going here" Hermione said and the Ron cut her "How the hell we could know it?"  
"Some Alcohol or happiness can get out secrets from person, don't worry about it. Harry, on Friday when we will be at him we will get it and then we will do a research about it in the library and ask your sister to do it at home" Harry just nod and they continue to go. They passed different groups of people hurrying in different directions. Later while they were waiting in the Common room, suddenly the door opened and there were Professor McGonagall, Lilly, James and Mia who was asleep. "Harry, we came here to tell you that everything is fine, you will see us on your first game so good luck son" Lilly hugged her son and they left the room. On the next morning Harry wrote a letter to his sister where he told her to start a research and with that he sent some chocolate frogs that she forgot to take. Mia got her letter and started with the research.


	5. Chapter 5: Quidditch and Christmas

**Author note – I took some parts from the book. Also I want to add: I am from Israel, my English isn't such good, I got it that I have mistakes. If you have a problem with the mistakes stop reading my story. Thanks for all of these people who read and understand it. **

The Quidditch season had begun. On Saturday, Harry would be playing in his first match after weeks of training: Gryffindor versus Slytherin. If Gryffindor won, they would move up into second place in the house championship. So because it will be his first game, his family decided to come to Hogwarts to support him.  
  
Hardly anyone had seen Harry play because Wood had decided that, as their secret weapon, Harry should be kept, well, secret. But the news that he was playing Seeker had leaked out somehow, and Harry didn't know which was worse - people telling him he'd be brilliant or people telling him they'd be running around underneath him holding a mattress.  
It was really lucky that Harry now had Hermione as a friend. He didn't know how he'd have gotten through all his homework without her, what with all the last-minute Quidditch practice Wood was making them do. She had also tent him Quidditch Through the Ages, which turned out to be a very interesting read.  
  
Harry learned that there were seven hundred ways of committing a Quidditch foul and that all of them had happened during a World Cup match in 1473; that Seekers were usually the smallest and fastest players, and that most serious Quidditch accidents seemed to happen to them; that although people rarely died playing Quidditch, referees had been known to vanish and turn up months later in the Sahara Desert.  
  
Hermione had become a bit more relaxed about breaking rules, because she, Harry, Ron and Mia knew that something wrong is going under their nose and even under Dumbledore's nose. The day before Harry's first Quidditch match the three of them were out in the freezing courtyard during break, and she had conjured them up a bright blue fire that could be carried around in a jam jar. They were standing with their backs to it, getting warm, when his father crossed the yard. Harry, Ron, and Hermione moved closer together to block the fire from view; they were sure it wouldn't be allowed. "Hey you three, what are you doing here with book? You didn't know that it isn't good for you son to be out before the game?"  
"Yes dad I know, we just were here talking and I didn't notice that it is early evening. Sorry" Harry looked at his dad with his big green mother's eyes.  
" It is ok son and Oh, hello Professor Snape what are you doing here and why you limped?"  
"Hello James, why I limped, well here are some people that don't need to know about it" he looked at him with angry face "Ohh yes you right I forgot about it" sorry, let me help you" and then he added "See you son tomorrow in the staffroom as mom told you, btw: Hermione if it is ok for you, Mia will sit with you while me and Lilly will sit with the teachers so put an eye on Mia please"  
"No problem" answered Hermione and waved for a goodbye to Harry's father. After a while Harry mumbled "I wonder what's wrong with Snape's leg?"  
"Dunno, but I hope it's really hurting him," said Ron bitterly.  
The Gryffindor common room was very noisy that evening. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat together next to a window. Hermione was checking Harry and Ron's Charms homework for them. She would never let them copy ("How will you learn?"), but by asking her to read it through, they got the right answers anyway.  
Harry felt restless. Harry wanted to see his parents before he will go to the match, he knew that on the breakfast he won't have such time so while Getting up, he told Ron and Hermione that they would meet him in the Great Hall.  
He made his way down to the staffroom and knocked. There was no answer. He knocked again. Nothing.  
'Perhaps my parents aren't here, but yesterday Mia told me that they will be here with Snape?' Harry thought to himself. He pushed the door ajar and peered inside - and a horrible scene met his eyes.  
Snape with Madam Pomfrey and his parents were inside, alone. Snape was holding his robes above his knees. One of his legs was bloody and mangled. Madam Pomfrey was handing Snape bandages.  
"Blasted thing*," Snape was saying. "How are you supposed to keep your eyes on all three heads at once?"  
Harry tried to shut the door quietly, but -  
"HARRY!" his father's face was twisted with fury as he tried to cover up with his body Snape and his leg. Harry gulped.  
"I just wanted to see you dad and mom, I will wait. Sorry Professor."  
"It is ok, wait some seconds dear I finish right now" Madam Pomfrey said it and Harry nodded.

After he talked with his parents he went to the Great Hall for the breakfast and while the breakfast Harry whispered to Ron, Hermione and Mia what he had saw in the staffroom.  
"You know what this means?" he finished breathlessly. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog at Halloween! That's where he was going when we saw him, running after Quirrell - he's after whatever it's guarding! And Id bet my broomstick Quirrell let that troll in, to make a diversion! And Snape try to get it before him that Quirrell won't take it!. "  
Hermione's eyes were wide.  
"No - he wouldn't, she said. "I know that Quirrell is wired and is afraid of everything alive and not, but he wouldn't try and steal something Dumbledore was keeping safe."  
"Honestly, Hermione, you think all teachers are saints or something," snapped Ron. "I'm with Harry. I wouldn't put anything past Quirrell. But what's he after? What's that dog guarding?".

After it they started finely to eat. Nearly everyone. Harry was nervous and now Mia and Hermione try to convince him to eat.  
"You've got to eat some breakfast." Mia said angrily at her older brother and added "If not I will call mom to here"  
"I don't want anything."  
"Just a bit of toast," wheedled Hermione.  
"I'm not hungry."  
Harry felt terrible. In an hour's time he'd be walking onto the field.  
"Harry, you need your strength," said Seamus Finnigan. "Seekers are always the ones who get clobbered by the other team."  
"Thanks, Seamus," said Harry, watching Seamus pile ketchup on his sausages.  
By eleven o'clock the whole school seemed to be out in the stands around the Quidditch pitch. Many students had binoculars. The seats might be raised high in the air, but it was still difficult to see what was going on sometimes.  
Ron, Hermione and Mia joined Neville, Seamus, and Dean the West Ham fan up in the top row. As a surprise for Harry, they had painted a large banner on one of the sheets Scabbers had ruined. It said Potter for President, and Dean, who was good at drawing, had done a large Gryffindor lion underneath. Then Hermione had performed a tricky little charm so that the paint flashed different colors. Meanwhile, in the locker room, Harry and the rest of the team were changing into their scarlet Quidditch robes (Slytherin would be playing in green). Wood cleared his throat for silence.

"Okay, men," he said.  
"And women," said Chaser Angelina Johnson.  
"And women," Wood agreed. "This is it."  
"The big one," said Fred Weasley.  
"The one we've all been waiting for," said George.  
"We know Oliver's speech by heart," Fred told Harry, "we were on the team last year."  
"Shut up, you two," said Wood. "This is the best team Gryffindor's had in years. We're going to win. I know it."  
He glared at them all as if to say, "Or else."  
"Right. It's time. Good luck, all of you."  
Harry followed Fred and George out of the locker room and, hoping his knees weren't going to give way, walked onto the field to loud cheers.

Madam Hooch was refereeing. She stood in the middle of the field waiting for the two teams, her broom in her hand.  
"Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you," she said, once they were all gathered around her. Harry noticed that she seemed to be speaking particularly to the Slytherin Captain, Marcus Flint, a sixth year. Harry thought Flint looked as if he had some troll blood in him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the fluttering banner high above, flashing Potter for President over the crowd. His heart skipped. He felt braver.  
"Mount your brooms, please."  
Harry clambered onto his Nimbus Two Thousand.  
Madam Hooch gave a loud blast on her silver whistle.  
Fifteen brooms rose up, high, high into the air. They were off. "And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor - what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too -"  
"JORDAN!"  
"Sorry, Professor."  
The Weasley twins' friend, Lee Jordan, was doing the commentary for the match, closely watched by Professor McGonagall.  
"And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve - back to Johnson and - no, the Slytherins have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes - Flint flying like an eagle up there - he's going to sc- no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and the Gryffindors take the Quaffle - that's Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and - OUCH - that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger - Quaffle taken by the Slytherins - that's Adrian Pucey speeding off toward the goal posts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger - sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which - nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes - she's really flying - dodges a speeding Bludger - the goal posts are ahead - come on, now, Angelina - Keeper Bletchley dives - misses - GRYFFINDORS SCORE!"

Gryffindor cheers filled the cold air, with howls and moans from the Slytherins.  
"Budge up there, move along."  
"Hagrid!"  
Ron, Hermione and Mia squeezed together to give Hagrid enough space to join them.  
"Bin watchin' from me hut," said Hagrid, patting a large pair of binoculars around his neck, "But it isn't the same as bein' in the crowd. No sign of the Snitch yet, eh?"  
"Nope," said Ron. "Harry hasn't had much to do yet."  
"Kept outta trouble, though, that's somethin'," said Hagrid, raising his binoculars and peering skyward at the speck that was Harry.  
Way up above them, Harry was gliding over the game, squinting about for some sign of the Snitch. This was part of his and Wood's game plan.  
"Keep out of the way until you catch sight of the Snitch," Wood had said. "We don't want you attacked before you have to be."  
When Angelina had scored, Harry had done a couple of loop-the-loops to let off his feelings. Now he was back to staring around for the Snitch. Once he caught sight of a flash of gold, but it was just a reflection from one of the Weasleys' wristwatches, and once a Bludger decided to come pelting his way, more like a cannonball than anything, but Harry dodged it and Fred Weasley came chasing after it.  
"All right there, Harry?" he had time to yell, as he beat the Bludger furiously toward Marcus Flint.  
"Slytherin in possession," Lee Jordan was saying, "Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys, and Chaser Bell, and speeds toward the - wait a moment - was that the Snitch?"  
A murmur ran through the crowd as Adrian Pucey dropped the Quaffle, too busy looking over his shoulder at the flash of gold that had passed his left ear.  
Harry saw it. In a great rush of excitement he dived downward after the streak of gold. Slytherin Seeker Terence Higgs had seen it, too. Neck and neck they hurtled toward the Snitch -all the Chasers seemed to have forgotten what they were supposed to be doing as they hung in midair to watch.  
Harry was faster than Higgs - he could see the little round ball, wings fluttering, darting up ahead - - he put on an extra spurt of speed -  
WHAM! A roar of rage echoed from the Gryffindors below - Marcus Flint had blocked Harry on purpose, and Harry's broom spun off course, Harry holding on for dear life.  
"Foul!" screamed the Gryffindors.  
Madam Hooch spoke angrily to Flint and then ordered a free shot at the goal posts for Gryffindor. But in all the confusion, of course, the Golden Snitch had disappeared from sight again.  
Down in the stands, Dean Thomas was yelling, "Send him off, ref! Red card!"  
"What are you talking about, Dean?" said Ron.  
"Red card!" said Dean furiously. "In soccer you get shown the red card and you're out of the game!"  
"But this isn't soccer, Dean," Ron reminded him.  
"Oh, right I am in Quidditch game now".  
Hagrid, however, was on Dean's side.  
"They oughta change the rules. Flint coulda knocked Harry outta the air."  
Lee Jordan was finding it difficult not to take sides.  
"So - after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating  
"Jordan!" growled Professor McGonagall.  
"I mean, after that open and revolting foul  
'Jordan, I'm warning you -"  
"All right, all right. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure, so a penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Spinner, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession."  
It was as Harry dodged another Bludger, which went spinning dangerously past his head, that it happened. His broom gave a sudden, frightening lurch. For a split second, he thought he was going to fall. He gripped the broom tightly with both his hands and knees. He'd never felt anything like that.  
It happened again. It was as though the broom was trying to buck him off. But Nimbus Two Thousands did not suddenly decide to buck their riders off. Harry tried to turn back toward the Gryffindor goal- posts - he had half a mind to ask Wood to call time-out - and then he realized that his broom was completely out of his control. He couldn't turn it. He couldn't direct it at all. It was zigzagging through the air, and every now and then making violent swishing movements that almost unseated him.  
Lee was still commentating.

"Slytherin in possession - Flint with the Quaffle - passes Spinnet - passes Bell - hit hard in the face by a Bludger, hope it broke his nose - only joking, Professor - Slytherins score - A no...  
The Slytherins were cheering. No one seemed to have noticed that Harry's broom was behaving strangely. It was carrying- him slowly higher, away from the game, jerking and twitching as it went.  
"Dunno what Harry thinks he's doing," Hagrid mumbled. He stared through his binoculars. "If I didn' know better, I'd say he'd lost control of his broom... but he can't have..."  
Suddenly, people were pointing up at Harry all over the stands. His broom had started to roll over and over, with him only just managing to hold on. Then the whole crowd gasped. Harry's broom had given a wild jerk and Harry swung off it. He was now dangling from it, holding on with only one hand.  
"Did something happen to it when Flint blocked him?" Seamus whispered.  
"Can't have," Hagrid said, his voice shaking. "Can't nothing interfere with a broomstick except powerful Dark magic - no kid could do that to a Nimbus Two Thousand."  
At these words, Mia seized Hagrid's binoculars, but instead of looking up at her brother, she started looking frantically at the crowd.  
"What are you doing?" moaned Hermione, gray-faced.  
"I knew it," Mia gasped, " Quirrell - look."  
Hermione grabbed the binoculars. Quirrell was in the middle of the stands opposite them. He had his eyes fixed on Harry and was muttering nonstop under his breath. And then she saw how Snape and his mom doing the same but used another words. (Mia can read lips very well, like her grandmother from her dad side).  
"He's doing something - jinxing the broom, while Snape and mom try to protect Harry" said Mia.  
"What should we do?" Ron asked  
"Leave it to me."  
Before Ron or Mia could say another word, Hermione had disappeared and the binoculars was in Ron's hands. Ron turned the binoculars back on Harry and then to Quirrell and then back to Harry and back to Quirrell. His broom was vibrating so hard, it was almost impossible for him to hang on much longer. The whole crowd was on its feet, watching, terrified, as the Weasleys flew up to try and pull Harry safely onto one of their brooms, but it was no good - every time they got near him, the broom would jump higher still. They dropped lower and circled beneath him, obviously hoping to catch him if he fell. Marcus  
Flint seized the Quaffle and scored five times without anyone noticing.  
"Come on, Hermione," Ron and Mia muttered desperately.  
Hermione had fought her way across to the stand where Quirrell stood, and was now racing along the row behind him. Reaching Quirrell, she crouched down, pulled out her wand, and whispered a few, well- chosen words. Bright blue flames shot from her wand onto the hem of Quirrell's robes.  
It took perhaps thirty seconds for Quirrell to realize that he was on fire. A sudden yelp told her she had done her job. Scooping the fire off him into a little jar in her pocket, she scrambled back along the row - Quirrell would never know what had happened.  
It was enough. Up in the air, Harry was suddenly able to clamber back on to his broom.  
"Neville, you can look!" Ron said. Neville had been sobbing into Hagrid's jacket for the last five minutes.  
Harry was speeding toward the ground when the crowd saw him clap his hand to his mouth as though he was about to be sick - he hit the field on all fours - coughed - and something gold fell into his hand.  
"I've got the Snitch!" he shouted, waving it above his head, and the game ended in complete confusion.  
"He didn't catch it, he nearly swallowed it," Flint was still howling twenty minutes later, but it made no difference - Harry hadn't broken any rules and Lee Jordan was still happily shouting the results - Gryffindor had won by one hundred and seventy points to sixty.

Harry heard none of this, though. He was being made a cup of strong tea back in Hagrid's hut, with Ron, Mia and Hermione.  
"It was Quirrell," Ron was explaining, "Hermione, Mia and I saw him. He was cursing your broomstick, muttering, he wouldn't take his eyes off you."  
"Rubbish," said Hagrid, who hadn't heard a word of what had gone on next to him in the stands. "Why would Quirrell do somethin' like that?"  
Harry, Ron, Mia and Hermione looked at one another, wondering what to tell him. Harry decided on the truth.  
"I found out something about him," he told Hagrid. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog on Halloween. It bit him. We think he was trying to steal whatever it's guarding."  
Hagrid dropped the teapot.  
"How do you know about Fluffy?" he said.  
"Fluffy?"  
"Yeah - he's mine - bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year - I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the  
"Yes?" said Harry eagerly.  
"Now, don't ask me anymore," said Hagrid gruffly. "That's top secret, that is."  
"But Quirrell's trying to steal it."  
"Rubbish," said Hagrid again. " Quirrell 's a Hogwarts teacher, he'd do nothin' of the sort."  
"So why did he just try and kill Harry?" cried Hermione.  
The afternoon's events certainly seemed to have changed her mind about Quirrell. "Mia knows a jinx when she sees one, Hagrid, we both have read all about them! You've got to keep eye contact, and Quirrell wasn't blinking at all, I saw him! And Snape with Harry's mother said a protection spell. Mia was the one who noticed it."  
"I'm tellin' yeh, yer wrong!" said Hagrid hotly. "I don' know why Harry's broom acted like that, but Quirrell wouldn' try an' kill a student! Now, listen to me, all three of yeh, well four including you Mia - yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. It's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forget what it's guardin', that's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel -"  
"Aha!" said Harry, "so there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved, is there?"  
Hagrid looked furious with himself.

After the game Mia was with Ron, Harry and Hermione in the Common room waiting for her parents. While she was waiting for them, she was eating some chocolate frogs. On one of the chocolate frogs she discovers Albus Dumbledore, for thousand times that she and Harry have the collection of chocolate frogs as Ron. (They try to collect all of the cards) but now she read what was written behind his picture more carefully:

_'ALBUS DUMBLEDORE_  
_CURRENTLY HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS_

_Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.'_

"I found it! I know now where to look for the information! I found it!" she screamed. "What do you find sis?" Harry looked at his sister puzzled.  
"I will read it for you brother… hmm.. '…his work on alchemy with his partner Nicolas Flamel' she finished read and then added "We have at home couple of books about alchemy and about Nicolas Flamel work so tomorrow I will read and look for information and what I will find I will owl you". Harry, Ron and Hermione nodded and agreed that Hermione will collect all the information from Mia.  
After 10 minutes Harry's and Mia's parents came and the Potter family flew with the floo connection back to the Potter Manor.

On the next week the trio got a letter from Mia and it was written:  
_'Hello guys, well I read a lot of books and the only things that I found about Nicolas Flamel and alchemy was this thing that I copy for you:_  
_" Nicolas Flamel is the only known maker of the Sorcerer's Stone"_  
_Now that stone is the thing that is guarding by Fluffy. Because if you read it you will understand (Maybe Hermione will understands quicker and then she could explain to you two, I mean Harry and Ron what I meant here) so…now read:_  
_" The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Sorcerer's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal._

_There have been many reports of the Sorcerer's Stone over the centuries, but the only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicolas Flamel, the noted alchemist and opera lover. Mr. Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife, Perenelle (six hundred and fifty-eight)."_  
_Got it? I think that it is the best that I can do. See you soon Harry and Ron._  
_Mia._

After they read it Hermione said "She is right, I took a book from library and find the same things that she wrote here. I defiantly think that Quirrell wants to take the stone. And I bet he asked Dumbledore to keep it safe for him, because they're friends and he knew someone was after it, that's why he wanted the Stone moved out of Gringotts!". "Good job! Hermione, if you knew it, why you didn't tell anyone of us about it?" Ron asked her with a mouth full of omelet. "Yesterday I found it but I wasn't sure and you two didn't have time to that. Harry was in the training and you Ron made your homework while I was checking Harry's. And btw: Harry you did a very good work". Then they went to their lessons.

**Christmas time:**

Christmas was coming. One morning in mid-December, Hogwarts woke to find itself covered in several feet of snow. The lake froze solid and the Weasley twins were punished for bewitching several snowballs so that they followed Quirrell around, bouncing off the back of his turban. The few owls that managed to battle their way through the stormy sky to deliver mail had to be nursed back to health by Hagrid before they could fly off again.

No one could wait for the holidays to start. While the Gryffindor common room and the Great Hall had roaring fires, the drafty corridors had become icy and a bitter wind rattled the windows in the classrooms. Worst of all were Professor Snape's classes down in the dungeons, where their breath rose in a mist before them and they kept as close as possible to their hot cauldrons.  
"I do feel so sorry," said Draco Malfoy, one Potions class, "for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home." He was looking over at Harry as he spoke. Crabbe and Goyle chuckled. He thought that Harry would stay in Hogwarts with Ron; he didn't know that he will go home Harry, who was measuring out powdered spine of lionfish, ignored them. Malfoy had been even more unpleasant than usual since the Quidditch match. Disgusted that the Slytherins had lost, he had tried to get everyone laughing at how a wide-mouthed tree frog would be replacing Harry as Seeker next. Then he'd realized that nobody found this funny, because they were all so impressed at the way Harry had managed to stay on his bucking broomstick. So Malfoy was jealous and angry.

This Holiday will be special for Harry because this time Ron and his brothers will come to the Potter Manor. Last year the Potters were in the Borrow for Christmas and this year Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were going to Romania to visit Charlie, so Ron and his brothers coming with Harry.  
When they left the dungeons at the end of Potions, they found a large fir tree blocking the corridor ahead. Two enormous feet sticking out at the bottom and a loud puffing sound told them that Hagrid was behind it.  
"Hi, Hagrid, want any help?" Ron asked, sticking his head through the branches.  
"Nah, I'm all right, thanks, Ron."  
"Would you mind moving out of the way?" came Malfoys cold drawl from behind them. "Are you trying to earn some extra money, Weasley? Hoping to be gamekeeper yourself when you leave Hogwarts, I suppose - that hut of Hagrid's must seem like a palace compared to what your family's used to."  
Ron dived at Malfoy just as Snape came up the stairs.  
"WEASLEY!"  
Ron let go of the front of Malfoy's robes.  
"He was provoked, Professor Snape," said Hagrid, sticking his huge hairy face out from behind the tree. "Malfoy was insultin' his family."  
"Be that as it may, fighting is against Hogwarts rules, Hagrid," said Snape silkily. "Five points from Gryffindor, Weasley, and be grateful it isn't more, and five points from Slytherin, Malfoy, for your provoked. Move along, all of you. "  
Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle pushed roughly past the tree, scattering needles everywhere and smirking.  
"I'll get him," said Ron, grinding his teeth at Malfoy's back, "one of these days, I'll get him -"  
"Come on, cheer up, it's nearly Christmas," said Hagrid. "Tell yeh what, come with me an' see the Great Hall, looks a treat."  
So the trio: Hermione, Ron and Harry followed Hagrid and his tree off to -the Great Hall, where Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were busy with the Christmas decorations.  
"Ah, Hagrid, the last tree - put it in the far corner, would you?"  
The hall looked spectacular. Festoons of holly and mistletoe hung all around the walls, and no less than twelve towering Christmas trees stood around the room, some sparkling with tiny icicles, some glittering with hundreds of candles.  
"How many days you got left until yer holidays?" Hagrid asked.  
"Just one," said Hermione. "And that reminds me - Harry, Ron, we've got half an hour before lunch, we should go to pack stuff that we won't need it and check the library for the last time."  
"Oh yeah, you're right," said Ron, tearing his eyes away from Professor Flitwick, who had golden bubbles blossoming out of his wand and was trailing them over the branches of the new tree.  
"The library?" said Hagrid, following them out of the hall. "Just before the holidays? Bit keen, aren't yeh?"  
"Oh, we're not working," Harry told him brightly. "Ever since you mentioned Nicolas Flamel we've been trying to find out who he is."  
"You what?" Hagrid looked shocked. "Listen here - I've told yeh - drop it. It's nothin' to you what that dog's guardin'."  
"We just want to know who Nicolas Flamel is, that's all," said Hermione.  
"Unless you'd like to tell us and save us the trouble?" Harry added. "We must've been through hundreds of books already and we can't find him anywhere - just give us a hint - I know I've read his name somewhere."  
"I'm sayin' nothin, said Hagrid flatly.  
"Just have to find out for ourselves, then," said Ron, and they left Hagrid looking disgruntled and hurried off to the library.  
They trie to find more information about Flamel, but they couldn't find more then they have already.

Hermione took out a list of subjects and titles she had decided to search while Ron strode off down a row of books and started pulling them off the shelves at random. Harry wandered over to the Restricted Section. He had been wondering for a while if Flamel wasn't somewhere in there. Unfortunately, you needed a specially signed note from one of the teachers to look in any of the restricted books, and he knew he'd never get one. These were the books containing powerful Dark Magic never taught at Hogwarts, and only read by older students studying advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts.  
He, Ron, and Hermione had already agreed they'd better not ask Madam Pince where they could find Flamel. They were sure she'd be able to tell them, but they couldn't risk Quirrell hearing what they were up to. So they decided to ask Harry's parents and Mia who already found a lot of books for older students at home. Harry waited outside in the corridor to see if the other two had found anything, but he wasn't very hopeful. They had been looking for two weeks, after A, but as they only had odd moments between lessons it wasn't surprising they'd found nothing. What they really needed was a nice long search without Madam Pince breathing down their necks. Five minutes later, Ron and Hermione joined him, shaking their heads. They went off to lunch.  
"You will keep looking at your home Harry, right?" said Hermione. "And send me an owl if you find anything."  
"And you could ask your parents if they know who Flamel is," said Ron. "It'd be safe to ask them."  
"Very safe, as they're both dentists," said Hermione.

Once the holidays had started, Percy, Fred, George, Ron and Harry were having a very good time at the Potter Manor. First when they came home they decided to start with their homework and after it start to relax and have fun. So Harry and Ron hadn't such time to think much about Flamel, they told Mia what to look for and she did all the 'black work'. Once she fined something helpful she read it to them and write it down for Hermione, she finished with that very quickly and owl everything that she got.  
Ron and Harry played wizard chess. This was exactly like Muggle chess except that the figures were alive, which made it a lot like directing troops in battle. Ron's set was very old and battered. Like everything else he owned, it had once belonged to someone else in his family - in this case, his grandfather. However, old chessmen weren't a drawback at all. Ron knew them so well he never had trouble getting them to do what he wanted.  
Harry played with his own chessmen but, they didn't trust him much because he didn't play a lot with them. Fred and George were exploring the wood that was near the Potter Manor, they also helped to James to clean the snow from the doorway and of course play Quidditch with Harry, Ron, Mia and Percy. Percy usually was in the library and sometimes helped Lilly in the shop. While the boys have fun Mia was helping her grandmother with the preparing for Christmas Eve. On Christmas Eve, Harry went to bed looking forward to the next day for the food and the fun and a mountain of presents as every year. When he woke up and came down to the living room, where already were Mia and Ron who try to get all their presents together from under the tree.  
"Merry Christmas," said Ron as he saw Harry coming to them closer.  
"You, too," said Harry. "Do I get something?" he asked  
"Of Course you can. Let's see, here it is yours, and this one, and this, this is from my family and this is from Hagrid, from Hermione, your sister and your family" said Ron, turning to his own pile and added "Me and Mia get all the presents and arranged them in groups according to the names of all of us".  
Harry picked up the top parcel. It was wrapped in thick brown paper and scrawled across it was To Harry, from Hagrid. Inside was a roughly cut wooden flute. Hagrid had obviously whittled it himself. Harry blew it - it sounded a bit like an owl. From Hermione he got a book about all the Quidditch seekers from all the history of magic. From his parents and sister he got a set treatment for his broom and a pair of special glasses Aviation. "Ok, I got here from my parents, Hermione and Hagrid. So that's supposed to be from your mother, right?"  
"You are definitely right, look at this" said Ron, turning a bit pink and pointing to a very lumpy parcel. "My mom. I told her that you likes sweaters and you once even wear mine so she made you a Weasley sweater."  
Harry had torn open the parcel to find a thick, hand-knitted sweater in emerald green and a large box of homemade fudge.  
"Every year she makes us a sweater," said Ron, unwrapping his own, "and mine's always maroon."  
"That's really nice of her," said Harry, trying the fudge, which was very tasty.  
His next present also contained candy - a large box of Chocolate Frogs from his grandparents. This only left one parcel. Harry picked it up and felt it. It was very light. He unwrapped it. Something fluid and silvery gray went slithering to the floor where it lay in gleaming folds. Ron gasped. "I've heard of those," he said in a hushed voice, dropping the box of Every Flavor Beans he'd gotten from Hermione. "If that's what I think it is - they're really rare, and really valuable."  
"What is it?" Harry picked the shining, silvery cloth off the floor. It was strange to the touch, like water woven into material. "It's an invisibility cloak," said Ron, a look of awe on his face. "I'm sure it is - try it on." Harry threw the cloak around his shoulders and Ron gave a yell. "It is! Look down!" Harry looked down at his feet, but they were gone. He dashed to the mirror. Sure enough, his reflection looked back at him, just his head suspended in midair, his body completely invisible. He pulled the cloak over his head and his reflection vanished completely. "There's a note!" said Ron suddenly. "A note fell out of it!"  
Harry pulled off the cloak and seized the letter. It was his father's handwriting that he recognized immediately:

_Son, it was mine first cloak when I got my first job as an Auror, once you saw it on me and then tried by yourself and you always wanted it. So it is time for you to take it because I have now a new one. Use it well._  
_Dad._

After some minutes he noticed that his dad was staring at him and then he asked "So you like it son, and dose it understood, you only use it well. Ok?!"  
"Sure dad, now I am hungry, let's goes to the kitchen"  
By the time Lilly, Mia and three elves were already in the kitchen. Ron went up to call his brothers and then everyone started to eat. When Fred and George came they noticed that Harry is wearing theirs mother sweater and said "very nice sweater, good color". They both were wearing blue sweaters, one with a large yellow F on it, the other a G. Percy who came behind them wished Marry Christmas to all and was wearing his dark purple sweater. After the breakfast everyone went outside to play Quidditch, even James and Lilly. After the Quidditch they all drank hot chocolate and went play chess. Today Lilly and James hosts some teachers from Hogwarts. This time it will be Dumbledore, McGonagall and Flitwick. (At the beginning they supposed to host Snape, but he needed to stay at Hogwarts for the protection from Quirrell.)  
The table was full of good: A hundred fat, roast turkeys; mountains of roast and boiled potatoes; platters of chipolatas; tureens of buttered peas, silver boats of thick, rich gravy and cranberry sauce - and stacks of wizard crackers every few feet along the table. Harry pulled a wizard cracker with Fred and it didn't just bang, it went off with a blast like cannon and engulfed them all in a cloud of blue smoke, while from the inside exploded a rear admiral's hat and several live, white mice. Dumbledore had swapped his pointed wizard's hat for a flowered bonnet, and was chuckling merrily at a joke Professor Flitwick had just read him.

Flaming Christmas puddings followed the turkey. Percy nearly broke his teeth on a silver sickle embedded in his slice. While the children were busy with the gifts they received, the adults began a talk about the defense of the stone. Mia and Harry were chatting and in the same time were listening because it is very important for them; it is more information for what they need. Dumbledore said that tomorrow the last defenses for the stone would be settled by him. It was a special mirror that was called 'The Mirror of Erised'. It was a magnificent mirror, as high as the ceiling, with an ornate gold frame, standing on two clawed feet. There was an inscription carved around the top: Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi. "It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts." Said Dumbeldore and this words was enough for Harry, Ron and Mia to understand that Quirrell wants the stone for someone or for himself. They was sure that it is for someone because they remembered that the time when Hagrid told them that someone killed unicorn and drank his blood.  
When Harry finally left the table, he was laden down with a stack of things out of the crackers, including a pack of nonexplodable, luminous balloons, a Grow-Your-Own-Warts kit, and his new wizard chess set. The white mice had disappeared and Harry had a nasty feeling they were going to end up as one of their cats for Christmas dinner. Then Harry, Ron and Mia went to his room and write a letter for Hermione. While Mia was writing the letter Harry started to think about the man who left on his forehead the scar and he remembered the time that on Mia's last birthday they were in the zoo and he actually spoke with snake. 'It's no coincidence: First the scar, the theft from Gringotts, the troll, the dog with three heads, stone. This is related to the dark Lord. But he is dead, unless he left things that must to be destroyed for that his soul with defiantly destroyed. That's it, it must be it'.

"I got up with something. Think for minute maybe all the events happened and have the connection with the Dark Lord" he said.  
"Harry you talked about your scar, the theft from Gringotts, the troll, the dog with three heads and the stone?" Mia asked him. "I thought about it too, and I have no doubt that Quirrell is something that was left by the Dark Lord, like one of his soul part or something. I can write it to Hermione and later after we will have all the evidence we can talk with the adults, I think you Harry will talk with Dumbledore by the end of the year. Until then we will have enough evidence to tell the truth about Quirrell. Give me please to finish the letter and let's go out to have a fight".  
Later Harry, Mia and the Weasleys spent a happy afternoon having a furious snowball fight near the lake. Then, cold, wet, and gasping for breath, they returned to the fire in living room, where Harry gave Mia his new chess set and she broke them by losing spectacularly to Ron. She suspected she wouldn't have lost so badly if Percy hadn't tried to help her so much because usually she can beat anyone. After a meal of turkey sandwiches, crumpets, trifle, and Christmas cake, everyone felt too full and sleepy to do much before bed except sit and watch Percy chase Fred and George all over two and third floors because they'd stolen his prefect badge.

It had been Harry's best Christmas day ever near his family and his best friend and his brothers.  
Week after all the boys were back to Hogwarts. Hermione sent her letter on the last night before they came back to school. Harry and Mia decided that Harry and Ron will answer her back when they will meet her in the train and they will discuss the details. The conclusion of it is that she as Mia and Harry thought the same but still they don't have yet a lot evidence for that they can say without any doubt that Quirrell is up to something and do bad things under Dumbledore's nose.


	6. Chapter 6: End of first year

Chapter 6: The Stone, the Quidditch Goblet and the Houses Goblet

**Author note – I took some parts from the book. I don't know how to use Beta, so I don't care if it is hard for you to read it. My English isn't my first language so if you have any problems with how it is written. Stop reading it.  
Thanks a lot for who still read it no matter what. **

One month till the first school year will be finish. The exams began. Harry's forehead started to pain. He has it since Harry thought about the Dark Lord and how everything is related to him. It was sweltering hot, especially in the large classroom where they did their written papers. They had been given special, new quills for the exams, which had been bewitched with an AntiCheating spell.  
They had practical exams as well. Professor Flitwick called them one by one into his class to see if they could make a pineapple tapdance across a desk. Professor McGonagall watched them turn a mouse into a snuffbox - points were given for how pretty the snuffbox was, but taken away if it had whiskers. Snape made them all nervous, breathing down their necks while they tried to remember how to make a Forgetfulness potion. Harry did the best he could, trying to ignore the stabbing pains in his forehead which Snape knew about them from the first second after Harry told him about it as he told him about the nightmares. Also he told him about what he had thought once and all the connection to the dead Dark Lord and about what is Quirrell up to, now Snape is on Harry's side without no doubt.

Their very last exam was History of Magic. One hour of answering questions about batty old wizards who'd invented selfstirring cauldrons and they'd be free, free for a whole wonderful week until their exam results came out. When the ghost of Professor Binns told them to put down their quills and roll up their parchment, Harry couldn't help cheering with the rest.  
"That was far easier than I thought it would be," said Hermione as they joined the crowds flocking out onto the sunny grounds. "I needn't have learned about the 1637 Werewolf Code of Conduct or the uprising of Elfric the Eager."  
Hermione always liked to go through their exam papers afterward, but Ron said this made him feel ill, so they wandered down to the lake and flopped under a tree. The Weasley twins and Lee Jordan were tickling the tentacles of a giant squid, which was basking in the warm shallows.

"No more studying," Ron sighed happily, stretching out on the grass.  
"You could look more cheerful, Harry, we've got a week before we find out how badly we've done, there's no need to worry yet."  
Harry was rubbing his forehead. "I wish I knew what this means!" he burst out angrily. "My scar keeps hurting - it's happened before, but never as often as this. Snape and Dumbledore sure that it means something bad.  
"Go to Madam Pomfrey," Hermione suggested.  
"I'm not ill," said Harry. "I think it's a warning... it means danger's coming... But what could happen? Maybe that Quirrell is ready to get the stone any day soon?"  
Ron couldn't get worked up, it was too hot.  
"Harry, relax, Hermione's right, the Stone's safe as long as Dumbledore's around. Anyway, we've never had any proof Quirrell found out how to get past Fluffy. He nearly had his leg ripped off once; he's not going to try it again in a hurry. And Neville will play Quidditch for England before Hagrid lets Dumbledore down."  
Harry nodded and then said "Wait a minute; remember Hagrid gave me a flute when we were in his house with the stupid dragon. Well maybe if we use music the dog will fell asleep and then we need to move his lap and go down to the next room. I am sure that Quirrell got this idea; we must to warning Snape and Dumbledore. Or we can go by ourselves and break all the rules and I am sure because of it we will get the Goblet".  
"I don't know why but I may agree to you Harry, tonight we will do it. Get prepared boys" Hermione said it and they decided to go to visit Hagrid.  
Hagrid was sitting in an armchair outside his house; his trousers and sleeves were rolled up, and he was shelling peas into a large bowl.

"Hullo," he said, smiling. "Finished yer exams? Got time fer a drink?"  
"Yes, please," said Ron, but Harry cut him off.  
"No, we're in a hurry. Hagrid, I've got to ask you something. You know that night you won Norbert? What did the stranger you were playing cards with look like?"  
"Dunno," said Hagrid casually, "he wouldn' take his cloak off."  
He saw the three of them look stunned and raised his eyebrows.  
"It's not that unusual, yeh get a lot o' funny folk in the Hog's Head - that's the pub down in the village. Mighta bin a dragon dealer, mightn' he? I never saw his face, he kept his hood up."  
Harry sank down next to the bowl of peas. "What did you talk to him about, Hagrid? Did you mention Hogwarts at all?"  
"Mighta come up," said Hagrid, frowning as he tried to remember. "Yeah... he asked what I did, an' I told him I was gamekeeper here... He asked a bit about the sorta creatures I took after... so I told him... an' I said what I'd always really wanted was a dragon... an' then... I can' remember too well, 'cause he kept buyin' me drinks... Let's see... yeah, then he said he had the dragon egg an' we could play cards fer it if I wanted... but he had ter be sure I could handle it, he didn' want it ter go ter any old home... So I told him, after Fluffy, a dragon would be easy..."  
"And did he - did he seem interested in Fluffy?" Harry asked, try ing to keep his voice calm.  
"Well - yeah - how many three-headed dogs d'yeh meet, even around Hogwarts? So I told him, Fluffy's a piece o' cake if yeh know how to calm him down, jus' play him a bit o' music an' he'll go straight off ter sleep -"  
Hagrid suddenly looked horrified.  
"I shouldn'ta told yeh that!" he blurted out. "Forget I said it! Hey - where're yeh goin'?"

Harry, Ron, and Hermione didn't speak to each other at all until they came to a halt in the entrance hall, which seemed very cold and gloomy after the grounds.  
"You see, I was right. We've got to go to Dumbledore," said Harry. "Hagrid told that stranger how to get past Fluffy, and it was either Quirrell under that cloak - it must've been easy, once he'd got Hagrid drunk. I just hope Dumbledore believes us. Firenze might back us up if Bane doesn't stop him. Where's Dumbledore's office?" They looked around, as if hoping to see a sign pointing them in the right direction. They had never been told where Dumbledore lived, nor did they know anyone who had been sent to see him.  
"We'll just have to -" Harry began, but a voice suddenly rang across the hall.  
"What are you three doing inside?" It was Professor McGonagall, carrying a large pile of books.  
"We want to see Professor Dumbledore," said Hermione, rather bravely, Harry and Ron thought.  
"See Professor Dumbledore?" Professor McGonagall repeated, as though this was a very fishy thing to want to do. "Why?" Harry swallowed - now what?  
"It's sort of secret," he said, but he wished at once he hadn't, because Professor McGonagall's nostrils flared.  
"Professor Dumbledore left ten minutes ago," she said coldly. "He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and flew off for London at once."  
"He's gone?" said Harry frantically. "Now?"  
"Professor Dumbledore is a very great wizard, Potter, he has many demands on his time -  
"But this is important."  
"Something you have to say is more important than the Ministry of Magic, Potter."Look," said Harry, throwing caution to the winds, "Professor - it's about the Sorcerer's tone -"  
Whatever Professor McGonagall had expected, it wasn't that. The books she was carrying tumbled out of her arms, but she didn't pick them up. "How do you know -?" she spluttered.  
"Professor, I think - I know - that Qu- that someone's going to try and steal the Stone. I've got to talk to Professor Dumbledore." She eyed him with a mixture of shock and suspicion.  
"Professor Dumbledore will be back tomorrow," she said finally. I don't know how you found out about the Stone, but rest assured, no one can possibly steal it, it's too well protected."  
"But Professor -"  
"Potter, I know what I'm talking about," she said shortly. She bent down and gathered up the fallen books. I suggest you all go back outside and enjoy the sunshine." But they didn't.  
"It's tonight," said Harry, once he was sure Professor McGonagall was out of earshot. "Snape's going through the trapdoor tonight. He's found out everything he needs, and now he's got Dumbledore out of the way. He sent that note, I bet the Ministry of Magic will get a real shock when Dumbledore turns up."  
"But what can we -"  
"I said enough Potter, get down of it and go outside" said Professor McGonagall and the trio left the hall.  
Later they dicedied that tonight they will go to get the stone no matter what. Actually Harry was the one who dicedied, Ron and Hermione join to him because he is their best friend. They will use the cloak tonight.

After dinner the three of them sat nervously apart in the common room. Nobody bothered them; none of the Gryffindors had anything to say to Harry any more, after all. This was the first night he hadn't been upset by it. Hermione was skimming through all her notes, hoping to come across one of the enchantments they were about to try to break. Harry and Ron didn't talk much. Both of them were thinking about what they were about to do. Slowly, the room emptied as people drifted off to bed.  
"Better get the cloak," Ron muttered, as Lee Jordan finally left, stretching and yawning. Harry ran upstairs to their dark dormitory. He putted out the cloak and then his eyes fell on the flute Hagrid had given him. He pocketed it to use on Fluffy - he didn't feel much like singing. He ran back down to the common room. "We'd better put the cloak on here, and make sure it covers all three of us - if Filch spots one of our feet wandering along on its own -"  
"What are you doing?" said a voice from the corner of the room. Neville appeared from behind an armchair, clutching Trevor the toad, who looked as though he'd been making another bid for freedom. "Nothing, Neville, nothing," said Harry, hurriedly putting the cloak behind his back. Neville stared at their guilty faces. "You're going out again," he said. "No, no, no," said Hermione. "No, we're not. Why don't you go to bed, Neville?" Harry looked at the grandfather clock by the door. They couldn't afford to waste any more time, Quirrell might even now be playing Fluffy to sleep.  
"You can't go out," said Neville, "you'll be caught again. Gryffindor will be in even more trouble."  
"You don't understand," said Harry, "this is important." But Neville was clearly steeling himself to do something desperate.  
"I won't let you do it," he said, hurrying to stand in front of the portrait hole. "I'll - I'll fight you!"  
"Neville, "Ron exploded, "get away from that hole and don't be an idiot -"  
"Don't you call me an idiot!" said Neville. I don't think you should be breaking any more rules! And you were the one who told me to stand up to people!"  
"Yes, but not to us," said Ron in exasperation. "Neville, you don't know what you're doing." He took a step forward and Neville dropped Trevor the toad, who leapt out of sight.  
"Go on then, try and hit me!" said Neville, raising his fists. "I'm ready!" Harry turned to Hermione. "Do something," he said desperately. Hermione stepped forward. "Neville," she said, "I'm really, really sorry about this." She raised her wand. "Petrificus Totalus!" she cried, pointing it at Neville. Neville's arms snapped to his sides. His legs sprang together. His whole body rigid, he swayed where he stood and then fell flat on his face, stiff as a board. Hermione ran to turn him over. Neville's jaws were jammed together so he couldn't speak. Only his eyes were moving, looking at them in horror. "What've you done to him?" Harry whispered. "It's the full Body-Bind," said Hermione miserably. "Oh, Neville, I'm so sorry." "We had to, Neville, no time to explain," said Harry.  
"You'll understand later, Neville," said Ron as they stepped over him and pulled on the invisibility cloak.

But leaving Neville lying motionless on the floor didn't feel like a very good omen. In their nervous state, every statue's shadow looked like Filch, every distant breath of wind sounded like Peeves swooping down on them. At the foot of the first set of stairs, they spotted Mrs. Norris skulking near the top. "Oh, let's kick her, just this once," Ron whispered in Harry's ear, but Harry shook his head. As they climbed carefully around her, Mrs. Norris turned her lamplike eyes on them, but didn't do anything. They didn't meet anyone else until they reached the staircase up to the third floor. Peeves was bobbing halfway up, loosening the carpet so that people would trip. "Who's there?" he said suddenly as they climbed toward him. He narrowed his wicked black eyes. "Know you're there, even if I can't see you. Are you ghoulie or ghostie or wee student beastie?" He rose up in the air and floated there, squinting at them. "Should call Filch, I should, if something's a-creeping around unseen." Harry had a sudden idea. "Peeves," he said, in a hoarse whisper, "the Bloody Baron has his own reasons for being invisible." Peeves almost fell out of the air in shock. He caught himself in time and hovered about a foot off the stairs.  
"So sorry, your bloodiness, Mr. Baron, Sir," he said greasily. "My mistake, my mistake - I didn't see you - of course I didn't, you're invisible - forgive old Peevsie his little joke, sir."  
"I have business here, Peeves," croaked Harry. "Stay away from this place tonight."  
"I will, sir, I most certainly will," said Peeves, rising up in the air again. "Hope your business goes well, Baron, I'll not bother you." And he scooted off  
"Brilliant, Harry!" whispered Ron. A few seconds later, they were there, outside the third-floor corridor - and the door was already ajar.  
"Well, there you are," Harry said quietly, "Snape's already got past Fluffy."  
Seeing the open door somehow seemed to impress upon all three of them what was facing them. Underneath the cloak, Harry turned to the other two.  
"If you want to go back, I won't blame you," he said. "You can take the cloak, I won't need it now."  
"Don't be stupid," said Ron.  
"We're coming," said Hermione.  
Harry pushed the door open.

As the door creaked, low, rumbling growls met their ears. All three of the dog's noses sniffed madly in their direction, even though it couldn't see them.  
"What's that at its feet?" Hermione whispered.  
"Looks like a harp," said Ron. "Snape must have left it there."  
"It must wake up the moment you stop playing," said Harry. "Well, here goes..."  
He put Hagrid's flute to his lips and blew. It wasn't really a tune, but from the first note the beast's eyes began to droop. Harry hardly drew breath. Slowly, the dog's growls ceased - it tottered on its paws and fell to its knees, then it slumped to the ground, fast asleep.  
"Keep playing," Ron warned Harry as they slipped out of the cloak and crept toward the trapdoor. They could feel the dog's hot, smelly breath as they approached the giant heads. "I think we'll be able to pull the door open," said Ron, peering over the dog's back. "Want to go first, Hermione?"  
"No, I don't!"  
"All right." Ron gritted his teeth and stepped carefully over the dog's legs. He bent and pulled the ring of the trapdoor, which swung up and open. "What can you see?" Hermione said anxiously.  
"Nothing - just black - there's no way of climbing down, we'll just have to drop."  
Harry, who was still playing the flute, waved at Ron to get his attention and pointed at himself.  
"You want to go first? Are you sure?" said Ron. "I don't know how deep this thing goes. Give the flute to Hermione so she can keep him asleep."  
Harry handed the flute over. In the few seconds' silence, the dog growled and twitched, but the moment Hermione began to play, it fell back into its deep sleep.  
Harry climbed over it and looked down through the trapdoor. There was no sign of the bottom. He lowered himself through the hole until he was hanging on by his fingertips. Then he looked up at Ron and said, "If anything happens to me, don't follow. Go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, right?"  
"Right," said Ron.  
"See you in a minute, I hope..."

And Harry let go. Cold, damp air rushed past him as he fell down, down, down and - FLUMP. With a funny, muffled sort of thump he landed on something soft. He sat up and felt around, his eyes not used to the gloom. It felt as though he was sitting on some sort of plant.  
"It's okay!" he called up to the light the size of a postage stamp, which was the open trapdoor, "it's a soft landing, you can jump!" Ron followed right away. He landed, sprawled next to Harry. "What's this stuff?" were his first words.  
"Dunno, some sort of plant thing. I suppose it's here to break the fall. Come on, Hermione!" The distant music stopped. There was a loud bark from the dog, but Hermione had already jumped. She landed on Harry's other side.  
"We must be miles under the school , she said.  
"Lucky this plant thing's here, really," said Ron.  
"Lucky!" shrieked Hermione. "Look at you both!" She leapt up and struggled toward a damp wall. She had to struggle because the moment she had landed, the plant had started to twist snakelike tendrils around her ankles. As for Harry and Ron, their legs had already been bound tightly in long creepers without their noticing. Hermione had managed to free herself before the plant got a firm grip on her. Now she watched in horror as the two boys fought to pull the plant off them, but the more they strained against it, the tighter and faster the plant wound around them.  
"Stop moving!" Hermione ordered them. "I know what this is - it's Devil's Snare!"  
"Oh, I'm so glad we know what it's called, that's a great help," snarled Ron, leaning back, trying to stop the plant from curling around his neck. "Shut up, I'm trying to remember how to kill it!" said Hermione.  
"Well, hurry up, I can't breathe!" Harry gasped, wrestling with it as it curled around his chest.

"Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare... what did Professor Sprout say? - it likes the dark and the damp "So light a fire!" Harry choked.  
"Yes - of course - but there's no wood!" Hermione cried, wringing her hands. "HAVE YOU GONE MAD?" Ron bellowed. "ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?"  
"Oh, right!" said Hermione, and she whipped out her wand, waved it, muttered something, and sent a jet of the same bluebell flames she had used on Snape at the plant. In a matter of seconds, the two boys felt it loosening its grip as it cringed away from the light and warmth. Wriggling and flailing, it unraveled itself from their bodies, and they were able to pull free.  
"Lucky you pay attention in Herbology, Hermione," said Harry as he joined her by the wall, wiping sweat off his face.  
"Yeah," said Ron, "and lucky Harry doesn't lose his head in a crisis - 'there's no wood,' honestly."  
"This way," said Harry, pointing down a stone passageway, which was the only way forward.

All they could hear apart from their footsteps was the gentle drip of water trickling down the walls. The passageway sloped downward, and Harry was reminded of Gringotts. With an unpleasant jolt of the heart, he remembered the dragons said to be guarding vaults in the wizards' bank. If they met a dragon, a fully-grown dragon - Norbert had been bad enough...  
"Can you hear something?" Ron whispered.  
Harry listened. A soft rustling and clinking seemed to be coming from up ahead.  
"Do you think it's a ghost?"  
"I don't know... sounds like wings to me."  
"There's light ahead - I can see something moving."  
They reached the end of the passageway and saw before them a brilliantly lit chamber, its ceiling arching high above them. It was full of small, jewel-bright birds, fluttering and tumbling all around the room. On the opposite side of the chamber was a heavy wooden door.  
"Do you think they'll attack us if we cross the room?" said Ron.  
"Probably," said Harry. "They don't look very vicious, but I suppose if they all swooped down at once... well, there's no other choice... I'll run."  
He took a deep breath, covered his face with his arms, and sprinted across the room. He expected to feel sharp beaks and claws tearing at him any second, but nothing happened. He reached the door untouched. He pulled the handle, but it was locked.  
The other two followed him. They tugged and heaved at the door, but it wouldn't budge, not even when Hermione tried her Alohomora charm.  
"Now what?" said Ron.  
"These birds... they can't be here just for decoration," said Hermione.  
They watched the birds soaring overhead, glittering - glittering?  
"They're not birds!" Harry said suddenly. "They're keys! Winged keys - look carefully. So that must mean..." he looked around the chamber while the other two squinted up at the flock of keys. "... yes - look! Broomsticks! We've got to catch the key to the door!"  
"But there are hundreds of them!"  
Ron examined the lock on the door.  
"We're looking for a big, old-fashioned one - probably silver, like the handle."  
They each seized a broomstick and kicked off into the air, soaring into the midst of the cloud of keys. They grabbed and snatched, but the bewitched keys darted and dived so quickly it was almost impossible to catch one.  
Not for nothing, though, was Harry the youngest Seeker in a century. He had a knack for spotting things other people didn't. After a minute's weaving about through the whirl of rainbow feathers, he noticed a large silver key that had a bent wing, as if it had already been caught and stuffed roughly into the keyhole.  
"That one!" he called to the others. "That big one - there - no, there - with bright blue wings - the feathers are all crumpled on one side."  
Ron went speeding in the direction that Harry was pointing, crashed into the ceiling, and nearly fell off his broom.  
"We've got to close in on it!" Harry called, not taking his eyes off the key with the damaged wing. "Ron, you come at it from above - Hermione, stay below and stop it from going down and I'll try and catch it. Right, NOW!"  
Ron dived, Hermione rocketed upward, the key dodged them both, and Harry streaked after it; it sped toward the wall, Harry leaned forward and with a nasty, crunching noise, pinned it against the stone with one hand. Ron and Hermione's cheers echoed around the high chamber.  
They landed quickly, and Harry ran to the door, the key struggling in his hand. He rammed it into the lock and turned - it worked. The moment the lock had clicked open, the key took flight again, looking very battered now that it had been caught twice.

"Ready?" Harry asked the other two, his hand on the door handle. They nodded. He pulled the door open.

The next chamber was so dark they couldn't see anything at all. But as they stepped into it, light suddenly flooded the room to reveal an astonishing sight.  
They were standing on the edge of a huge chessboard, behind the black chessmen, which were all taller than they were and carved from what looked like black stone. Facing them, way across the chamber, were the white pieces. Harry, Ron and Hermione shivered slightly - the towering white chessmen had no faces.  
"Now what do we do?" Harry whispered.  
"It's obvious, isn't it?" said Ron. "We've got to play our way across the room."  
Behind the white pieces they could see another door.  
"How?" said Hermione nervously.  
"I think," said Ron, "we're going to have to be chessmen."  
He walked up to a black knight and put his hand out to touch the knight's horse. At once, the stone sprang to life. The horse pawed the ground and the knight turned his helmeted head to look down at Ron.  
"Do we - er - have to join you to get across?" The black knight nodded. Ron turned to the other two.  
"This needs thinking about he said. I suppose we've got to take the place of three of the black pieces..."  
Harry and Hermione stayed quiet, watching Ron think. Finally he said, "Now, don't be offended or anything, but neither of you are that good at chess -"  
"We're not offended," said Harry quickly. "Just tell us what to do."  
"Well, Harry, you take the place of that bishop, and Hermione, YOU 90 next to him instead of that castle."  
"What about you?"  
"I'm going to be a knight," said Ron.  
The chessmen seemed to have been listening, because at these words a knight, a bishop, and a castle turned their backs on the white pieces and walked off the board, leaving three empty squares that Harry, Ron, and Hermione took.  
"White always plays first in chess," said Ron, peering across the board. "Yes... look..."  
A white pawn had moved forward two squares.  
Ron started to direct the black pieces. They moved silently wherever he sent them. Harry's knees were trembling. What if they lost?  
"We're nearly there," he muttered suddenly. "Let me think let me think..."  
The white queen turned her blank face toward him.  
"Yes..." said Ron softly, "It's the only way... I've got to be taken."  
"NOF" Harry and Hermione shouted.  
"That's chess!" snapped Ron. "You've got to make some sacrifices! I take one step forward and she'll take me - that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry!"  
"But -"  
"Do you want to stop Snape or not?"  
"Ron -"  
"Look, if you don't hurry up, he'll already have the Stone!"  
There was no alternative.  
"Ready?" Ron called, his face pale but determined. "Here I go - now, don't hang around once you've won."  
He stepped forward, and the white queen pounced. She struck Ron hard across the head with her stone arm, and he crashed to the floor - Hermione screamed but stayed on her square - the white queen dragged Ron to one side. He looked as if he'd been knocked out.  
Shaking, Harry moved three spaces to the left.  
The white king took off his crown and threw it at Harry's feet. They had won. The chessmen parted and bowed, leaving the door ahead clear. With one last desperate look back at Ron, Harry and Hermione charged through the door and up the next passageway.  
"What if he's -?"  
"He'll be all right," said Harry, trying to convince himself. "What do you reckon's next?"  
"We've had Sprout's, that was the Devil's Snare; Flitwick must've put charms on the keys; McGonagall transfigured the chessmen to make them alive; that leaves Quirrell's spell, and Snape's."  
They had reached another door.  
"All right?" Harry whispered.  
"Go on."

Harry pushed it open. A disgusting smell filled their nostrils, making both of them pull their robes up over their noses. Eyes watering, they saw, flat on the floor in front of them, a troll even larger than the one they had tackled, out cold with a bloody lump on its head.  
"I'm glad we didn't have to fight that one," Harry whispered as they stepped carefully over one of its massive legs. "Come on, I can't breathe."  
He pulled open the next door, both of them hardly daring to look at what came next - but there was nothing very frightening in here, just a table with seven differently shaped bottles standing on it in a line.  
"Snape's," said Harry. "What do we have to do?"  
They stepped over the threshold, and immediately a fire sprang up behind them in the doorway. It wasn't ordinary fire either; it was purple. At the same instant, black flames shot up in the doorway leading onward. They were trapped.  
"Look!" Hermione seized a roll of paper lying next to the bottles. Harry looked over her shoulder to read it:

_Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,_

_Two of us will help you, which ever you would find,_

_One among us seven will let you move ahead,_

_Another will transport the drinker back instead,_

_Two among our number hold only nettle wine,_

_Three of us are killers, waiting bidden in line._

_Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,_

_To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:_

_First, however slyly the poison tries to hide_

_You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;_

_Second, different are those who stand at either end,_

_But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;_

_Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,_

_Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;_

_Fourth, the second left and the second on the right_

_Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight._

Hermione let out a great sigh and Harry, amazed, saw that she was smiling, the very last thing he felt like doing.  
"Brilliant," said Hermione. "This isn't magic - it's logic - a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of logic, they'd be stuck in here forever."  
"But so will we, won't we?" "Of course not," said Hermione. "Everything we need is here on this paper. Seven bottles: three are poison; two are wine; one will get us safely through the black fire, and one will get us back through the purple."  
"But how do we know which to drink?"  
"Give me a minute."  
Hermione read the paper several times. Then she walked up and down the line of bottles, muttering to herself and pointing at them. At last, she clapped her hands.  
"Got it," she said. "The smallest bottle will get us through the black fire - toward the Stone." Harry looked at the tiny bottle.  
"There's only enough there for one of us," he said. "That's hardly one swallow." They looked at each other.  
"Which one will get you back through the purple flames?"  
Hermione pointed at a rounded bottle at the right end of the line.  
"You drink that," said Harry. "No, listen, get back and get Ron. Grab brooms from the flying- key room, they'll get you out of the trapdoor and past Fluffy - go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, we need him. I might be able to hold Snape off for a while, but I'm no match for him, really."  
"But Harry - what if You-Know-Who's with him?"  
"Well - I was lucky once, wasn't I?" said Harry, pointing at his scar. "I might get lucky again." Hermione's lip trembled, and she suddenly dashed at Harry and threw her arms around him.  
"Hermione!"  
"Harry - you're a great wizard, you know."  
"I'm not as good as you," said Harry, very embarrassed, as she let go of him.  
"Me!" said Hermione. "Books! And cleverness! There are more important things - friendship and bravery and - oh Harry - be careful!"  
"You drink first," said Harry. "You are sure which is which, aren't you?"  
"Positive," said Hermione. She took a long drink from the round bottle at the end, and shuddered. "It's not poison?" said Harry anxiously.  
"No - but it's like ice."  
"Quick, go, before it wears off."  
"Good luck - take care."  
"GO!"  
Hermione turned and walked straight through the purple fire.  
Harry took a deep breath and picked up the smallest bottle. He turned to face the black flames.  
"Here I come," he said, and he drained the little bottle in one gulp.  
It was indeed as though ice was flooding his body. He put the bottle down and walked forward; he braced himself, saw the black flames licking his body, but couldn't feel them - for a moment he could see nothing but dark fire - then he was on the other side, in the last chamber.

There was already someone there - but it wasn't Snape. It was Quirrell.  
"Hey You!" shouted Harry. Quirrell smiled. His face wasn't twitching at all.  
"Me," he said calmly. "I wondered whether I'd be meeting you here, Potter." He was standing before the mirror and then he suddenly came back out from behind the mirror and stared hungrily into it.  
"I see the Stone... I'm using it... but where is it?"  
Harry struggled against the ropes binding him, but they didn't give. He had to keep Quirrell from giving his whole attention to the mirror.  
"Why you wanted to kill me in the game in front of everyone include my family?"  
"I wanted to do it because you disorder me in the middle of the action to get all the clues to how I can get here and finely take the stone."  
Quirrell cursed under his breath.  
"I don't understand... is the Stone inside the mirror? Should I break it?"  
Harry's mind was racing.  
What I want more than anything else in the world at the moment, he thought, is to find the Stone before Quirrell does. So if I look in the mirror, I should see myseff finding it - which means I'll see where it's hidden! But how can I look without Quirrell realizing what I'm up to?  
He tried to edge to the left, to get in front of the glass without Quirrell noticing, but the ropes around his ankles were too tight: he tripped and fell over. Quirrell ignored him. He was still talking to himself. "What does this mirror do? How does it work? Help me, Master!"  
Harry knew that the Lord Dark is dead and then said "He can't help you, his soul that in you can show you what to do but I don't think you can find the way because it doesn't show you." Then suddenly Quirrell felt something and then he shouted at Harry "Come here," and then added "Look in the mirror and tell me what you see." Harry walked toward him. 'I must lie, he thought desperately. I must look and lie about what I see, that's all.'  
Quirrell moved close behind him. Harry breathed in the funny smell that seemed to come from Quirrell's turban. He closed his eyes, stepped in front of the mirror, and opened them again. He saw his reflection, pale and scared-looking at first. But a moment later, the reflection smiled at him. It put its hand into its pocket and pulled out a blood-red stone. It winked and put the Stone back in its pocket - and as it did so, Harry felt something heavy drop into his real pocket. Somehow - incredibly - he'd gotten the Stone.  
"Well?" said Quirrell impatiently. "What do you see?" Harry screwed up his courage.  
"I see myself shaking hands with Dumbledore," he invented. "I - I've won the house cup for Gryffindor." Quirrell cursed again.  
"Get out of the way," he said. As Harry moved aside, he felt the Sorcerer's Stone against his leg. Dare he make a break for it?  
"Potter, come back here! I know that you lie to me!" Quirrell shouted. "Tell me the truth! What did you just see?" then Harry felt how is scar born and understood that something bad would happen now. He knew that he had the stone and soon enough Dumbledore will save him. After couple of times that Quirrell tried to kill Harry, he touched him once and then got to be like a statue.  
The stone did it. It saved Harry.

Suddenly something gold was glinting just above him. The Snitch! He tried to catch it, but his arms were too heavy.  
He blinked. It wasn't the Snitch at all. It was a pair of glasses. How strange.  
He blinked again. The smiling face of Albus Dumbledore swam into view above him.  
"Good afternoon, Harry," said Dumbledore. Harry stared at him. Then he remembered: "Sir! The Stone! It was Quirrell! He's got the Stone! Sir, quick -"  
"Calm yourself, dear boy, you are a little behind the times," said Dumbledore. "Quirrell does not have the Stone."  
"Then who does? Sir, I -"  
"Harry, please relax, or Madam Pomfrey will have me thrown out.  
Harry swallowed and looked around him. He realized he must be in the hospital wing. He was lying in a bed with white linen sheets, and next to him was a table piled high with what looked like half the candy shop.  
"Tokens from your friends and admirers," said Dumbledore, beaming. "What happened down in the dungeons between you and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret, so, naturally, the whole school knows. I believe your friends Misters Fred and George Weasley were responsible for trying to send you a toilet seat. No doubt they thought it would amuse you. Madam Pomfrey, however, felt it might not be very hygienic, and confiscated it."  
"How long have I been in here?"  
"Three days. Mr. Ronald Weasley and Miss Granger will be most relieved you have come round, they have been extremely worried. As your parents as well, they are outside waiting for me to let them came in and before that I want to talk to you."  
"But sit, the Stone"  
"I see you are not to be distracted. Very well, the Stone. Professor Quirrell did not manage to take it from you. I arrived in time to prevent that, although you were doing very well on your own, I must say."  
"You got there? You got Hermione's owl?"  
"We must have crossed in midair. No sooner had I reached London than it became clear to me that the place I should be was the one I had just left. I arrived just in time to pull Quirrell off you."  
"It was you."  
"I feared I might be too late."  
"You nearly were, I couldn't have kept him off the Stone much longer -"  
"Not the Stone, boy, you - the effort involved nearly killed you. For one terrible moment there, I was afraid it had. As for the Stone, it has been destroyed."  
"Destroyed?" said Harry blankly. "But your friend - Nicolas Flamel -"  
"Oh, you know about Nicolas?" said Dumbledore, sounding quite delighted. "You did do the thing properly, didn't you? Well, Nicolas and I have had a little chat, and agreed it's all for the best."  
"But that means he and his wife will die, won't they?"  
"They have enough Elixir stored to set their affairs in order and then, yes, they will die." Dumbledore smiled at the look of amazement on Harry's face.  
"To one as young as you, I'm sure it seems incredible, but to Nicolas and Perenelle, it really is like going to bed after a very, very long day. After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure. You know, the Stone was really not such a wonderful thing. As much money and life as you could want! The two things most human beings would choose above all - the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things that are worst for them." Harry lay there, lost for words. Dumbledore hummed a little and smiled at the ceiling.  
"Sir?" said Harry. "I've been thinking... sir – even if the Stone's gone, does it mean that one of the hidden souls of the Dark Lord are still existed?"  
"Well how you get to this thing, little Mia help you with Hermione? Well what I can say is the trues and the true is yes, 6 parts of his soul are still excises. One of these parts was in poor Professor Quirrell"  
"Why couldn't Quirrell touch me?"  
"Well, your mother put on you and your sister a special protective charm, this charm works until you will be 18 years old. And as you see, you are here and alive and will get all the trophy tomorrow. Now let me to call your parents."  
Harry's parents came in and saw him, they already knew the entire story and how he got that Professor Quirrell wanted the stone and the all stuff. They went home because the left Mia at home alone and she is little sick. After it Hermione and Ron were with him and Harry told them that the stone is gone and still now everything is ok but they must now to be more careful because there are still things or someone that has one of 6 parts of the Dark Lord soul.

Harry made his way down to the end-of-year feast alone that night. He had been held up by Madam Pomfrey's fussing about, insisting on giving him one last checkup, so the Great Hall was already full. It was decked out in the Slytherin colors of green and silver to celebrate Slytherin's winning the house cup for the seventh year in a row. A huge banner showing the Slytherin serpent covered the wall behind the High Table.  
When Harry walked in there was a sudden hush, and then everybody started talking loudly at once. He slipped into a seat between Ron and Hermione at the Gryffindor table and tried to ignore the fact that people were standing up to look at him. Fortunately, Dumbledore arrived moments later.  
The babble died away.  
"Another year gone!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were... you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts...  
"Now, as I understand it, the house cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred and twelve points; in third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw has four hundred and twenty-six and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy- two."  
A storm of cheering and stamping broke out from the Slytherin table. Harry could see Draco Malfoy banging his goblet on the table. It was a sickening sight.  
"Yes, Yes, well done, Slytherin," said Dumbledore. "However, recent events must be taken into account." The room went very still. The Slytherins' smiles faded a little.  
"Ahem," said Dumbledore. "I have a few last-minute points to dish out. Let me see. Yes...  
"First - to Mr. Ronald Weasley..." Ron went purple in the face; he looked like a radish with a bad sunburn.  
"...for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."  
Gryffindor cheers nearly raised the bewitched ceiling; the stars overhead seemed to quiver. Percy could be heard telling the other prefects, "My brother, you know! My youngest brother! Got past McGonagall's giant chess set!"  
At last there was silence again.  
"Second - to Miss Hermione Granger... for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."  
Hermione buried her face in her arms; Harry strongly suspected she had burst into tears. Gryffindors up and down the table were beside themselves - they were a hundred points up. "Third - to Mr. Harry Potter..." said Dumbledore. The room went deadly quiet for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points."  
The din was deafening. Those who could add up while yelling themselves hoarse knew that Gryffindor now had four hundred and seventy-two points - exactly the same as Slytherin. They had tied for the house cup - if only Dumbledore had given Harry just one more point.  
Dumbledore raised his hand. The room gradually fell silent.  
"There are all kinds of courage," said Dumbledore, smiling. "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr. Neville Longbottom."  
Someone standing outside the Great Hall might well have thought some sort of explosion had taken place, so loud was the noise that erupted from the Gryffindor table. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood up to yell and cheer as Neville, white with shock, disappeared under a pile of people hugging him. He had never won so much as a point for Gryffindor before. Harry, still cheering, nudged Ron in the ribs and pointed at Malfoy, who couldn't have looked more stunned and horrified if he'd just had the Body-Bind Curse put on him.  
"Which means, Dumbledore called over the storm of applause, for even Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were celebrating the downfall of Slytherin, "we need a little change of decoration."  
He clapped his hands. In an instant, the green hangings became scarlet and the silver became gold; the huge Slytherin serpent vanished and a towering Gryffindor lion took its place. Snape was shaking Professor McGonagall's hand, with a horrible, forced smile. He caught Harry's eye and Harry knew at once that Snape's feelings toward him hadn't changed one jot. This didn't worry Harry. It seemed as though life would be back to normal next year, or as normal as it ever was at Hogwarts.  
It was the best evening of Harry's life, better than winning at Quidditch, or Christmas, or knocking out mountain trolls... he would never, ever forget tonight.  
Harry had almost forgotten that the exam results were still to come, but come they did. To their great surprise, both he and Ron passed with good marks; Hermione, of course, had the best grades of the first years. Even Neville scraped through, his good Herbology mark making up for his abysmal Potions one. They had hoped that Goyle, who was almost as stupid as he was mean, might be thrown out, but he had passed, too. It was a shame, but as Ron said, you couldn't have everything in life.

And suddenly, their wardrobes were empty, their trunks were packed, Neville's toad was found lurking in a corner of the toilets; notes were handed out to all students, warning them not to use magic over the holidays ("I always hope they'll forget to give us these," said Fred Weasley sadly); Hagrid was there to take them down to the fleet of boats that sailed across the lake; they were boarding the Hogwarts Express; talking and laughing as the countryside became greener and tidier; eating Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans as they sped past Muggle towns; pulling off their wizard robes and putting on jackets and coats; pulling into platform nine and three-quarters at King's Cross Station.  
It took quite a while for them all to get off the platform. A wizened old guard was up by the ticket barrier, letting them go through the gate in twos and threes so they didn't attract attention by all bursting out of a solid wall at once and alarming the Muggles.  
"You must come and stay this summer," said Ron, "both of you - I'll send you an owl."  
"Thanks," said Harry, "We must to think about that all of us will meet and maybe do homework or just see each other and chat." People jostled them as they moved forward toward the gateway back to the Muggle world. Some of them called:  
"Bye, Harry!"  
"See you, Potter!"  
"Still famous," said Ron, grinning at him.  
"Not where I'm going, I promise you," said Harry.  
He, Ron, and Hermione passed through the gateway together. Harry's parents with Mia and Mrs. Weasley with Ginny were waving for them.  
"Busy year?" Mrs. Weasley said.  
"Very," said Harry. "Thanks for the fudge and the sweater, Mrs. Weasley."  
"Oh, it was nothing, dear."  
"So I will talk with my parents and see when we will fly to somewhere for the vacation as every year and then I can owl you and tell you when we can all meet and do homework together or just be together three of us" Hermione told both Harry and Ron and hugged them.  
"Hey, you trio. You will see each other enough, come' on Harry I am hungry" Mia told his brother and the trio started to laugh.  
"Why are you laughing? I said something wrong?" Mia asked puzzled  
"No. it just this nickname is well use in school and it is funny. That's all" Hermione said with a smile, she hugged her and then went to meet her parents.  
The Potter family drove back home as the Weasley family. Harry knew that this summer will be very good one because he will spend it among his family and best friends.


	7. Chapter 7: Summer at the Potters

**Chapter 7: Summer at the Potter Manor**

'Ahh home, family, my room, I missed it even that I love to be in Hogwarts' Harry thought to himself while he was taking a shower after he and his parents came back home from the train station.  
Downstairs in the kitchen and outside James and Lilly were preparing a special homecoming dinner. After Harry finished his shower he went to his case and unpacked it. He took all his homework out and put it on the table. He decided that first of all he will finish with all his homework and then started to spent the summer holiday for rest, relax, practice with his dad and Mia for Quidditch, to help his mother with her shop and of course to meet Ron and Hermione as they decided.

The next morning after the breakfast Harry was in his room and was doing his homework. He needed to tackle with a mountain full of homework. It was too much and he decided to separate it for two mornings.  
After the lunch Harry and Mia went outside to play Quidditch one by one. It was a good practice for Harry as a seeker and for Mia just to be a good flyer on the flying lessons in Hogwarts. After the dinner all the family went to the little cinema room and watched a movie. The next day was the same.  
After a week finely Harry could feel the summer and the vacation.  
Tomorrow Ron, His brothers and his sister Ginny, Hermione and Neville will come to the Potter Manor for a week and be with Harry and Mia.

Everyone got to the Potter Manor. Mia showed to the girls their rooms while Harry showed to the boys their rooms. After that everyone changed their cloth to swim suits and went to the lake. Most of all the parents came too and dicedied to join to their children. Most of the women didn't get in, but lie out on the lawn chairs, and talk about everything.

Neville was in the water while outside of the water near the diving board everyone was standing in line right after Percy. They stood from the oldest to the youngest, so Mia was the last. Mia and Ginny try to convince Neville to come to join them.  
"Come 'on, Neville!" Mia encouraged him. "It is fun. Just look at Percy!"  
"NO!" Neville exclaimed.  
"Neville it is not even a broom, you just stand on the board and then jump" Hermione explain. "And if you afraid, maybe you can tell me why you got 10 points from Dumbledore and because of that we won the trophy?" Ron asked him. With that Neville just said "Right, everything is ok and I don't need to be afraid. Harry I am older than you by a day so I will stand before you" and then he came to the line and stood with them. Every one of the kids jumped once and then ran back to the board. "I didn't know that it will be so much fun, thank you guys for the support" Neville told his friends with a wide smile. After couple of hours Mia started to be hungry and then she saw how her parents prepared the dinner and knew that soon enough they will all eat. Five minutes later Lily called all the children to come to the table. After the meal everyone went to have a shower and then down to the cinema room to watch a movie and it a special pop-corn with some surprises and tricky stuff.

The weekend ended and all the adults went home. Before they go Lily gave to all of them all the stuff that their children need for the position's lessons. She already got all the lists from Hogwarts. "It is a very good thing because when we will meet and be in the Diagon Allie we won't need to go and buy the stuff for the potion's lessons because we already have it." Explained Mia to Ginny.  
"Oh now I get it. So thank you Lily for giving me everything that I will need for the potion's lessons"  
"Ginny, it is my pleaser" Lily answered. All the parents went to their houses. They closed with James and Lily that in more two weeks all the kids would go home and on the other week Harry and Mia would come to the Borrow until they would meet in the Diagon Allie. That means that Harry's birthday would be spending and celebrating in the Borrow.

While the children, Lily, James and Mr. Potter and Mrs. Potter were eating dinner Lily started to talk: "Now, girls tomorrow I want that you will help me in the shop, and boys will go with James and Mr. Potter hiking for two days"  
"Cool… When we need to wake up father?" Harry looked at his father  
"Son don't worry about the time I will wake you up all. After the dinner boys I want you to go to your rooms and pack some cloth for the upcoming two days and pack it in Harry's bag, plus also I want that you will take your wands" he stops and then when Ron opened his mouth to ask why they can to take wands James suddenly continued "You allowed to use them but only there don't worry about it."

"Can you answer my question?" Percy asked him.  
"Sure, what do you want to know?" asked James.  
"Well can you tell us why we need to take our wands?"  
"James, let me speak." Mr. Potter said he drank little bit of his water and started to speak. "Young man, you want to know why you will need your wands right. Well you know the wood in Hogwarts so their sometime you need the wand for protection so even now when we will go hiking you will need it and this place known in the magic ministry and they allowed us that all of you, I mean all of the young wizards are allowed to use their wands." After his words the boys got up from the table and went to pack their cloth while the girls help Lily with the dishes and then they went to the paly room and the library to rest, have fun and spend this day as well.

On the next day Mr. Potter and James waked up the boys and after the fast breakfast that was made by the house elves, they all went to the little forest near the lake and started their hiking adventure.  
When it was time for Lily and her little helps to wake up the breakfast was already done and was waited for the girls to come to the table in the dining room. Lily and Mrs. Potter waked the girls up, ate the breakfast and went to the potion shop that was 10 minutes of walk from them.  
After nearly three hours there was two people that came to the shop. One of them wear an emerald cloak and the another one wear black one.  
"Good Morning professor McGonagall and good morning professor Snape, what can I do for you?" Lilly welcomed them and hugged them both.  
"Ahh Lilly it so nice to see you. Hello Miss Granger, oh I suppose that you young Miss Wesley, and hello to you Mia too. We came here to look for James and Mr. Potter, but as I saw they aren't at home."

"And I came to here to full up my potion stuff at Hogwarts as usual." Snape said and with this words gave a big list to Lilly. "Girls took this list and put all the stuff on the table, then took boxes put the stuff in, write on the boxes what it is and then we will send it to Hogwarts. Do it while I will talk with them. Got it?"  
"Yes mother, come 'on girls we have a big work to do" with Mia's words the girls went to the back of the shop and started to pack the stuff into the boxes.

"Professor McGonagall maybe you want to wrote me a letter and I will give it to James tomorrow when he and the boys will come back from the hiking? Or as well we can send them the patronus."  
"Well Lilly it something, well we all in the school thinks of that this year will be a year full of danger because as you know we have Luscious Malfoy and his all stuff from you know who, so I and Dumbledore think that this time he will try to put some stuff in one of the children of the order so I came here to suggest that Mr. Potter will be the teacher of the Defense Against the Dark Arts, but if he won't we have already a teacher for that.  
And another suggestion is that every month one of the order will be in Hogwarts for the protection"

"Oh yes it is a very good idea professor" Lilly said and then she asked Mia "Mia, girls are you finish?"  
"More 10 minutes mommy" Lilly heard her daughter's voice from the back of the shop and smiled.  
"Severus, take now some of the boxes and the last I will send it to you. Here take this two." Lilly helped him.  
"So I think that soon enough I will see you girls at school. Spend well your holiday."  
"Goodbye professors it was nice to meet you, see you soon." Both Mia and Ginny called and then started to laugh.

After the long day at the shop the girls decided to have a sleepover in the cinema room with hot chocolate, popcorn and a good movie.  
The next day was the same. The boys came back and had fun in their little adventure in the mountains, they also had a hot bath and a hot chocolate. On Saturday evening everyone went home. James and Lilly decided with Arthur and Molly that the weekend before Harry's birthday Harry and Mia will come to the Borrow and will be there until the last day of the summer vacation. This was a good decision because from next week till a week before September ends James and Lilly have to be on a mission from the order. They said that they will try to their best to see Harry and Mia in the train station. On this words the Wesley's left and leave the Potters alone.


	8. Chapter 8: The warning from the elf

**Chapter 8: The warning from the elf**

**Author's note- I took some parts from the book. **

A week after that everyone was at the Potter Manor it was time to Harry and Mia started to pack their stuff because on the becoming Sunday they will flew to the Borrow with all their stuff including the stuff to Hogwarts.  
Mia was at her room writing on her new desk. She was making lists of stuff that must be taken to her, must be taken to Harry and must to be bought in the Diagon Allie. After she finished writing she went to Harry's room who was finishing all his worksheets to be perfect and ready to handle on time. She gave him the list and came back to her room to unpack her wardrobe and put the cloth on her bad. Harry did the same.

Then later after the lunch the two children went to the garden with their grandfather and help him with the plants, while they were cleaning the bushes Harry noticed big green eyes that was watching him, and once again when he looked at it they despaired and came back again and again despaired. Harry thought that it must be a butterfly or some bug and continue with the cleaning. Later they decided to go to swim in the lake.

Couple of hours later they went back home, had a shower and each of them went to his room. When Harry saw in his room a little creature he called Mia who was putting her stuff into the big trail.  
When Mia closed the door they saw that the little creature was sitting next to the slipping cat Fog. It had large, bat-like ears and bulging green eyes the size of tennis balls. Harry knew instantly that this was what had been watching him and Mia out of the garden hedge that morning. As they stared at each other, Harry heard his grandparent's voice from the hall.

The creature slipped off the bed and bowed so low that the end of its long, thin nose touched the carpet. This creature was a house elf. But not as Harry and Mia regularly to see. This one was wearing what looked like an old pillowcase, with rips for arm- and leg-holes.  
"Well hello to you, not our house elf." said Mia nervously.  
"Harry and Mia Potter!" said the creature in a high-pitched voice Harry was sure would carry down the stairs. "So long has Dobby wanted to meet you, sir, miss ... Such an honor it is . . . ."

"Th-thank you," said Harry, who decided as the adult of them both to take the conversation and to handle with it by his own and Mia's 'mission' is to take care of that their grandparents won't come up to Harry's bedroom.  
"What is your name and from which house you come? I mean who is your master?"

"Dobby, sir. Just Dobby. Dobby the house-elf," said the creature.  
"Oh - really?" said Harry. "Er - I don't want to be rude or anything, but - this isn't a great time for me to have another house-elf in my bedroom. I already have three that help my family with the household."  
"Not that we not pleased to meet you," said Harry quickly, "but, er, is there any particular reason you're here?"

"Oh, yes, sir," said Dobby earnestly. "Dobby has come to tell you, sir ... it is difficult, sir ... Dobby wonders where to begin . . . ."  
"Sit down," said Harry politely, pointing at the bed. To his horror, the elf burst into tears - very noisy tears.  
"S-sit down!" he wailed. "Never ... never ever. . . "  
Harry thought he heard the voices downstairs falter and looked at Mia that put her left ear to the door to listen carefully.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, "I didn't mean to offend you or anything -"  
"Offend Dobby!" choked the elf. "Dobby has never been asked to sit down by a wizard - like an equal-"  
Harry, trying to say "Shh!" and look comforting at the same time, ushered Dobby back onto the bed where he sat hiccoughing, looking like a large and very ugly doll. At last he managed to control himself, and sat with his great eyes fixed on Harry in an expression of watery adoration.

"You can't have met many decent wizards," said Harry, trying to cheer him up.  
Dobby shook his head. Then, without warning, he leapt up and started banging his head furiously on the window, shouting, "Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!"  
"Don't - what are you doing?" Harry hissed, springing up and pulling Dobby back onto the bed – Fog had woken up with a particularly loud Miao and after that Mia rush to took him up from the bed and into her hands and came back to her position next to the door with Fog in her hands.

After this Dobby leaned toward Harry, his eyes wide as headlights.  
'Dobby heard tell," he said hoarsely, "that Harry Potter met the Dark Lord for a second time just weeks ago ... that Harry Potter escaped Yet again. "  
Harry nodded and Dobby's eyes suddenly shone with tears.  
"Ah, sir," he gasped, dabbing his face with a corner of the grubby pillowcase he was wearing. "Harry Potter is valiant and bold! He has braved so many dangers already! But Dobby has come to protect Harry Potter, to warn him, even if he does have to shut his ears in the oven door later... Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts."

"W-what?" Harry stammered. "But I've got to go back - term starts on September first. I must to go to school to study, to meet friends to have fun you know"  
"No, no, no," squeaked Dobby, shaking his head so hard his ears flapped. "Harry Potter must stay where he is safe. He is too great, too good, to lose. If Harry Potter goes back to Hogwarts, he will be in mortal danger."

"Why?" said Harry in surprise.  
"There is a plot, Harry Potter. A plot to make most terrible things happen at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year," whispered Dobby, suddenly trembling all over. "Dobby has known it for months, sir. Harry Potter must not put himself in peril. He is too important, sir!"

"What terrible things?" said Harry at once. "Who's plotting them?"  
Dobby made a funny choking noise and then banged his head frantically against the wall.  
"All right!" cried Harry, grabbing the elf's arm to stop him. "You can't tell us. I understand. But why are you warning us?" A sudden, unpleasant thought struck him. "Hang on - this hasn't got anything to do with Vol- - sorry - with You-Know-Who, has it? You could just shake or nod," he added hastily as Dobby's head tilted worryingly close to the wall again. Slowly, Dobby shook his head.  
"Not -not He- Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, sir ="

But Dobby's eyes were wide and he seemed to be trying to give Harry and Mia a hint. Harry, however, was completely lost. But Mia didn't. With this words Dobby despaired and left the kids alone. Mia's mind started to work and then suddenly she remembered the conversation between her mother and Professor McGonagall when she was in the shop. Actually she was next to them in Harry's invisible cloak and nearly got it.

"I think I knew it. Maybe someone from the dark eaters wants to bring the dangerous to Hogwarts." It was a silence between them and then she called "Come 'on Harry start to think whose parents are dark eaters and can bring dangerous" on this words Harry took a paper and started to write names of his classmates from all the houses.

"Well it is supposed to be someone from Slytherin" Harry said and on his words he heard a knock on his door and his grandmother's voice "Harry, Mia can I come in?"  
" Sure grandmother you can!" Mia shouted and Mrs. Potter opened the door.  
"Kids, what are you doing?"  
"Nothing. Just make a list of stuff that we need to take to Ron, to be sure that everything will be pack" Harry said and try to put the paper behind a charm book that was on the table.  
"In more 10 minutes the dinner will be ready and your parents will come back so make sure that in more 10 minutes both of you will be down" she continue and closed the door.  
"So if you say he or she must to be from Slytherin. Let's stop on Malfoy. He is the only one that I can think right now." Mia said and looked at her brother  
"Well you might be right but we can't suspect him right now without anything, we can only think about it and put an eye on him, on this point I must to agree with you. Come 'on let's stop thinking about what had happen here and went downstairs I am hungry!" He started to tickle his sister  
"Hahaha…Harry stop it please! Hahaha…. You always hungry and actually I am little hungry too so let's go" and with a big smile on their faces they came down to meet their parents who came back from the order meeting and went to the dining room.


	9. Chapter 9: End of Summer

Chapter 9: End of the summer in the Borrow

**Author's note- I took some parts from the book, it is a longer than usual chapter because in more two weeks I will go to the IDF. So today and next week I post chapters, later I don't know how it will go so because of it this chapter and the next one is quite long chapters. **

The last Saturday as a Potter family had become. First of all Lily, Mia and Harry checked if they pack everything in their trails. After they check Lily used her wand and with a little spell that Harry already knew and he helped Lily too. The spell is 'Wingardium Leviosa' and in a minute all their stuff was downstairs near the fire place. Then Harry and Mia went to the lake and swam there and later James made grilled hamburgers and bacon and all the family spent time together.

On early morning in Sunday the young Potters say goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Potter and flew to the Weasley family, to the Borrow.  
Molly Weasley greet them with her kids and with a help from the twins and Ron, Harry's and Mia's stuff were in Ron's room and Ginny's room.  
Molly ordered to her boys go to the garden to clean it, there are too many gnomes there and they destroy the flowers.  
Harry, who was still sleepy, but then when he heard what Mrs. Weasley said he just wanted to help and said "I'll help Ron. I've never seen a de-gnome -"  
"That's very sweet of you, dear, but it's dull work," said Mrs. Weasley. "Now, let's see what Lockhart's got to say on the subject -" And she pulled a heavy book from the stack on the mantelpiece. George groaned.  
"Mum, we know how to de-gnome a garden-"

Harry looked at the cover of Mrs. Weasley's book. Written across it in fancy gold letters were the words Gilderoy Lockhart's Guide to Household Pests. There was a big photograph on the front of a very good- IOI)king wizard with wavy blond hair and bright blue eyes. As always in the wizarding world, the photograph was moving; the wizard, was Gilderoy Lockhart, Harry hate him, when Lily saw the book she said to Mrs. Weasley "Molly dear, you really believe to what is written here? If he wouldn't be the teacher in Hogwarts this year, I wouldn't buy the books of him. He is ridiculous"  
"Well this book is one of his bests. It helps me a lot" on this words Lily just rolled her eyes and went to her kids to kiss them and hugged them.

"Mum fancies him," said Fred, in a very audible whisper.  
"Don't be so ridiculous, Fred," said Mrs. Weasley, her cheeks rather pink. "All right, if you think you know better than Lockhart, you can go and get on with it, and woe betide you if there's a single gnome in that garden when I come out to inspect it."

Everybody laughed and then Mia came closer to her mom and said  
"Bye, mom take care yourself and dad, see you soon. Write us a letter and we will return it with Hedwig from Hogwarts" Mia said it while she was hugging both her parents.  
"Of course, we will write to you, and you will write to us. Don't worry about it kiddo" James lifted her up and cuddled her.  
"Harry, as an adult brother, I want that you take care of her" Lilly kissed her adult boy and hugged him.  
"Yes, Harry your mom is right. Put an eye on this smart girl" James stroked Harry's hair and with this words they left to their mission from the order.  
After that Mia and Ginny went upstairs while the boys started to go to the garden.

**_Ginny's__ bedroom:_**  
  
"Mia, this is your bed for the rest of the summer. My mother will help us to put the bed where you want because after all you are my guest." Ginny showed Mia, where she would sleep and went to change her night goon.  
"Amm… Ginny, I wander if your mom will allow us to play with your brother Quiddich, or kind of it. I ask you that because I heard how Ron and Harry talked about that when you were at us. I saw that you like it so maybe you will join?"  
"Really I don't know. My mom knows that I had flew sometimes on the broom but still she thinks that the best place where it will be safety to fly is Hogwarts, so if you want you can. I will watch. Let's go down to help my mom lay the table to everyone" and on this words the girls went down to the kitchen to help Molly to lay the table.

**_Meanwhile in the way to the garden and at the garden:  
_**  
The yawning and grumbling Weasley boys slouched outside with Harry behind them. (It is so early for them, but they welcomed guests so they must wake up early then regular) The garden was large, as a regular garden.  
Harry thought to himself that his grandfather wouldn't have liked it - there were plenty of weeds, and the grass needed cutting but there were gnarled trees all around the walls, and a big green pond full of frogs.

"Muggles have garden gnomes, too, you know, I saw some of them in the town" Harry told Ron as they crossed the lawn.  
"Yeah, I've seen those things they think are gnomes," said Ron, bent double with his head in a peony bush, "like fat little Santa Clauses with fishing rods . . . ."  
There was a violent scuffling noise, the peony bush shuddered, and Ron straightened up. "This is a gnome," he said grimly.

"Gerroff me! Gerroff me!" squealed the gnome.  
It was certainly nothing like Santa Claus. It was small and leathery looking, with a large, knobby, bald head exactly like a potato. Ron held it at arm's length as it kicked out at him with its horny little feet; he grasped it around the ankles and turned it upside down.

"This is what you have to do," he said. He raised the gnome above his head ("Gerroff me!") and started to swing it in great circles like a lasso. Seeing the shocked look on Harry's face, Ron added, "It doesn't hurt them - you've just got to make them really dizzy so they can't find their way back to the gnomeholes."

He let go of the gnome's ankles: It flew twenty feet into the air and landed with a thud in the field over the hedge.  
"Pitiful," said Fred. "I bet I can get mine beyond that stump."  
Harry learned quickly not to feel too sorry for the gnomes. He decided just to drop the first one he caught over the hedge, but the gnome, sensing weakness, sank its razor-sharp teeth into Harry's finger and he had a hard job shaking it off – until…..  
"Wow, Harry - that must've been fifty feet ...  
The air was soon thick with flying gnomes.

"See, they're not too bright," said George, seizing five or six gnomes at once. "The moment they know the de-gnoming's going on they storm up to have a look. You'd think they'd have learned by now just to stay put."  
Soon, the crowd of gnomes in the field started walking away in a straggling line, their little shoulders hunched.  
"They'll be back," said Ron as they watched the gnomes disappear into the hedge on the other side of the field. "They love it here ... Dad's too soft with them; he thinks they're funny . . . ."  
Just then, the front door slammed.  
"He's back!" said George. "Dad's home!"  
They hurried through the garden and back into the house.

Mr. Weasley was sitting on his kitchen chair and talking with his wife, Ginny and Mia. When he saw his boys he greet them and greet Harry as well. And the he started to talk about his work…  
"What a night," he mumbled, groping for the teapot as they all sat down around him. "Nine raids. Nine! And old Mundungus Fletcher tried to put a hex on me when I had my back turned ...  
Mr. Weasley took a long gulp of tea and sighed.  
"Find anything, Dad?" said Fred eagerly.

"All I got were a few shrinking door keys and a biting kettle," yawned Mr. Weasley. "There was some pretty nasty stuff that wasn't my department, though. Mortlake was taken away for questioning about some extremely odd ferrets, but that's the Committee on Experimental Charms, thank goodness ...  
"Why would anyone bother making door keys shrink?" said George.

"Just Muggle-baiting," sighed Mr. Weasley. "Sell them a key that keeps shrinking to nothing so they can never find it when they need it ... Of course, it's very hard to convict anyone because no Muggle would admit their key keeps shrinking - they'll insist they just keep losing it. Bless them, they'll go to any lengths to ignore magic, even if it's staring them in the face ... But the things our lot have taken to enchanting, you wouldn't believe -"  
"By the way Harry, your parents left for their mission already? I thought that they would wait for me to change with them a word" Mr. Weasley looked at Harry puzzled.  
"Oh, yes Mr. Weasley. They left like 20 minutes before" Harry answered him while put his plate in the sink.  
"Ok never mind I will send them a patronus and we will catch up" Mr. Weasley said and on this words Harry and Ron went upstairs.

"Amm… Mr. Weasley, may I ask you a little question?" Mia asked him  
"Sure, what is on your mind little missy?" he asked with a smiley voice  
"Well, I know that before lunch the boys will play kind of Quiddich so I want to join them and I don't have a broom here so I wonder if I could take one of yours and then put it on it place back?" Mia looked at him with her beautiful brown eyes.  
"Of course you can take, if you know how to fly."  
"Don't worry about that Mr. Weasley" and on this words the girls went up stairs too.

Harry and Ron climbed two more flights until they reached a door with peeling paint and a small plaque on it, saying RONALD'S ROOM.  
Harry stepped in, his head almost touching the sloping ceiling, and blinked. It was like walking into a furnace: Nearly everything in Ron's room seemed to be a violent shade of orange: the bedspread, the walls, even the ceiling. Then Harry realized that it was a Quiddich team.

"Why you didn't say that you like The Chudley Cannons, I have some posters of them at home, after the first holiday I will give them" Harry and Ron high fived and started to laugh.  
Ron's school spellbooks were stacked untidily in a corner, next to a pile of comics that all seemed to feature The Adventures of Martin Miggs, the Mad Muggle. Ron's magic wand was lying on top of a fish tank full of frog spawn on the windowsill, next to his fat gray rat, Scabbers, who was snoozing in a patch of sun.

Harry stepped over a pack of Self-Shuffling playing cards on the floor and looked out of the tiny window. In the field far below he could see a gang of gnomes sneaking one by one back through the Weasleys' hedge. Then he turned to look at Ron, and said "Hey, the gnomes are sneaking back, all this work was for nothing!"  
"Hahaha, well they do it all the time."

Later as Mia thought and told before Harry, Ron, Fred, and George were planning to go up the hill to a small paddock the Weasleys owned. It was surrounded by trees that blocked it from view of the village below, meaning that they could practice Quidditch there, as long as they didn't fly too high.  
They couldn't use real Quidditch balls, which would have been hard to explain if they had escaped and flown away over the village; instead they threw apples for one another to catch. They took turns riding Harry's Nimbus Two Thousand, which was easily the best broom; Ron's old Shooting Star was often outstripped by passing butterflies.

Five minutes later they were marching up the hill, broomsticks over their shoulders. They had asked Percy if he wanted to join them, but he had said he was busy, so instead of him Mia joined.  
"Dunno how Mum and Dad are going to afford all our school stuff this year," said George after a while. "Five sets of Lockhart books! And Ginny needs robes and a wand and everything…."

"Me too" Mia said and then Harry stepped in "I heard from my parents that they gave your parents some money for that that we stay at you, and so I don't mind if I give you some of my money. It isn't such a problem at all. Oh and Btw Ron, I think that the best for you is to tell your parents about your wand and if not we will go and buy for you another wand from my money" Harry said that to Ron whose went pink.

"What happened to your wand Ron?" Fred asked in an interesting voice  
"Well it little crushed for two pieces but I put a special glue but it not helped so I need to buy a new one but mom and dad don't have enough money because this stupid books from this stupid Lockhart" Ron said sadly.  
"And this why I step in and instead of give you a present for you for your birthday give you money or a new wand as a present" Harry put hand on his best friend shoulder.

After the game they went back home, have showers and get ready for the dinner where Ron and Harry explained to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley what happened to Ron's wand and about what Harry wants to do and they agreed with it. Everyone decided that on the day when they will go to Diagon Allie Ron will come with Mr. or Ms. Weasley and the girls to Olivander, to have a new wand.

**_Couple of days later…..  
_**  
He and Ron went down to breakfast to find Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Mia and Ginny already sitting at the kitchen table. The moment she saw Harry, Ginny accidentally knocked her porridge bowl to the floor with a loud clatter. Ginny seemed very prone to knocking things over whenever Harry entered a room. She dived under the table to retrieve the bowl and emerged with her face glowing like the setting sun. Pretending he hadn't noticed this, Harry sat down and took the toast Mrs. Weasley offered him.

"Letters from school," said Mr. Weasley, passing Harry and Ron identical envelopes of yellowish parchment, addressed in green ink. "Dumbledore already knows you're here, Harry - doesn't miss a trick, that man, after all your parents already tell him that you and Mia are staying here. Oh and you two've got them, too," he added, as Fred and George ambled in, still in their pajamas.

For a few minutes there was silence as they all read their letters. Harry's told him to catch the Hogwarts Express as usual from King's Cross station on September first. There was also a list of the new books he'd need for the coming year.

SECOND-YEAR STUDENTS WILL REQUIRE:

* The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 by Miranda Goshawk  
*Break with a Banshee by Gilderoy Lockhart  
*Gadding with Ghouls by Gilderoy Lockhart  
*Holidays with Hags by Gilderoy Lockhart 4 ",3  
*Travels with Trolls by Gilderoy Lockhart Voyages with Vampires by Gilderoy *Lockhart Wanderings with Werewolves by Gilderoy Lockhart Year with the Yeti by Gilderoy Lockhart

Fred, who had finished his own list, peered over at Harry's.  
"You've been told to get all Lockhart's books, too!" he said. "The new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher must be a fan - bet it's a witch."  
"Naa-ah, Fred if you didn't heard what my mom said to your mom before you all go to the garden about this Lockhart I can remind you: He will teach us." Mia said that and then glared to her brother who started to laugh but stopped when he saw Mrs. Weasley's eyes. At this point, Fred caught his mother's eye as well and quickly busied himself with the marmalade.

"That lot won't come cheap," said George, with a quick look at his parents. "Lockhart's books are really expensive ...  
"Well, we'll manage," said Mrs. Weasley, but she looked worried. "I expect we'll be able to pick up a lot of Ginny's things secondhand."  
"But, Mrs. Weasley my mom didn't talk to you about that when we will be in the Diagon Allie we will buy the stuff not in the secondhand shop. It is a present for me and Ginny for that we start to learn in Hogwarts. So this isn't a problem at all" Mrs. Weasley only nodded to Mia's words and said "What we gonna do with you, and how we could be here without you?" and then everybody laugh and continue to eat their breakfast.

After some minutes Percy walked in. He was already dressed, his Hogwarts prefect badge pinned to his sweater vest.  
"Morning, all," said Percy briskly. "Lovely day."  
He sat down in the only remaining chair but leapt up again almost immediately, pulling from underneath him a moulting, gray feather duster - at least, that was what Harry thought it was, until he saw that it was breathing.

"Errol!" said Ron, taking the limp owl from Percy and extracting a letter from under its wing. "Finally - he's got Hermione's answer. I wrote to her saying that you coming to me" He carried Errol to a perch just inside the back door and tried to stand him on it, but Errol flopped straight off again so Ron lay him on the draining board instead, muttering, "Pathetic." Then he ripped open Hermione's letter and read it out loud:

_"`Dear Ron, and Harry if you're there,  
"`I hope everything went all right and that Harry is okay and that you didn't do anything illegal to get him out, Ron, because that would get Harry into trouble, too. I've been really worried and if Harry is all right, will you please let me know at once, but perhaps it would be bet ter if you used a different owl because I think another delivery might finish your one off.  
"'I'm very busy with schoolwork, of course'- How can she be?" said Ron in horror. "We're on vacation! - 'and we're going to London next Wednesday to buy my new books. Why don't we meet in Diago n Alley?  
"`Let me know what's happening as soon as you can. Love from Hermione. "'_

"Well, that fits in nicely, we can go and get all your things then, too," said Mrs. Weasley, starting to clear the table. "What're you all up to today?"  
"I will take Mia for a walk and show her the town and the aria little bit" said Ginny.  
"Oh dear, before you go please help me with the dishes" Mr. Weasley said and the girls nodded.  
"I want to check my homework again and then I am free, Ron let's do it together and if you will need any help I can help you and you too me." Said Harry and Ron agreed.  
"We just to relax and then go to play" Fred and George said in harmony. On that everyone laughed and left the kitchen. 

Mrs. Weasley woke them all early the following Wednesday. After a quick half a dozen bacon sandwiches each, they pulled on their coats and Mrs. Weasley took a flowerpot off the kitchen mantelpiece and peered inside.  
"We're running low, Arthur," she sighed. "We'll have to buy some more today... Ah well, guests first! After you, Harry and Mia!" And she offered Harry the flowerpot. Harry took a pinch of glittering powder out of the flowerpot, stepped up to the fire, and threw the powder into the flames that became emerald, shouted, "Diagon Alley!" and vanished. Mia did the same as well and after her all the Weasley family member did the same.

"Harry! Ron! Over here!"  
Harry looked up and saw Hermione Granger standing at the top of the white flight of steps to Gringotts. She ran down to meet them, her bushy brown hair flying behind her and they entered.  
"Meet you back here," Ron said to Hermione as the Weasleys and Harry were led off to their underground vaults by another Gringotts goblin.

The vaults were reached by means of small, goblin-driven carts that sped along miniature train tracks through the bank's underground tunnels. Harry enjoyed the breakneck journey down to the Weasleys' vault, when it was opened. There was a very small pile of silver Sickles inside, and just one gold Galleon. Mrs. Weasley felt right into the corners before sweeping the whole lot into her bag. Harry felt even worse when they reached his vault. He tried to block the contents from view as he hastily shoved handfuls of coins into a leather bag.

Back outside on the marble steps, they all separated. Percy muttered vaguely about needing a new quill. Fred and George had spotted their friend from Hogwarts, Lee Jordan. Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were going to a secondhand robe shop. Mr. Weasley was insisting on taking the Grangers off to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink.

"We'll all meet at Flourish and Blotts in an hour to buy your schoolbooks," said Mrs. Weasley, setting off with Ginny and Mia. "And not one step down Knockturn Alley!" she shouted at the twins' retreating backs.  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione strolled off along the winding, cobbled street. The bag of gold, silver, and bronze jangling cheerfully in Harry's pocket was clamoring to be spent, so he bought three large strawberry-and-peanut-butter ice creams, which they slurped happily as they wandered up the alley, examining the fascinating shop windows.

Ron gazed longingly at a full set of Chudley Can non robes in the windows of Quality Quidditch Supplies until Hermione dragged them off to buy ink and parchment next door and a new wand for Ron. In Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop, they met Fred, George, and Lee Jordan, who were stocking up on Dr. Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks, and in a tiny junk shop full of bro ken wands, lopsided brass scales, and old cloaks covered in potion stains they found Percy, deeply immersed in a small and deeply boring book called Prefects Who Gained Power. `A study of Hogwarts prefects and their later careers, " Ron read aloud off the back cover. "That sounds fascinating . . . ."  
"Go away," Percy snapped. "'Course, he's very ambitious, Percy, he's got it all planned out ... He wants to be Minister of Magic. . . " Ron told Harry and Hermione in an undertone as they left Percy to it. They met Mrs. Weasley with Ginny and Mia at Madam Malkin as Harry needed a new cloak.

An hour later, they headed for Flourish and Blotts. They were by no means the only ones making their way to the bookshop. As they approached it, they saw to their surprise a large crowd jostling out side the doors, trying to get in. The reason for this was proclaimed by a large banner stretched across the upper windows:  
_GILDEROY LOCKHART will be signing copies of his autobiography MAGICAL ME today 12:30 P.m. to 4:30 P.m._

"We can actually meet him!" Hermione squealed. "I mean, he's written almost the whole booklist!" The crowd seemed to be made up mostly of witches around Mrs. Weasley's age. A harrassed-looking wizard stood at the door, saying, "Calmly, please, ladies ... Don't push, there ... mind the books, now . . . . "  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione squeezed inside. A long line wound right to the back of the shop, where Gilderoy Lockhart was signing his books. They each grabbed a copy of The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 and sneaked up the line to where the rest of the Weasleys were standing with Mr. and Mrs. Granger.  
"Oh, there you are, good," said Mrs. Weasley. She sounded breathless and kept patting her hair. "We'll be able to see him in a minute ...

Gilderoy Lockhart came slowly into view, seated at a table surrounded by large pictures of his own face, all winking and flashing dazzlingly white teeth at the crowd. The real Lockhart was wearing robes of forget-me-not blue that exactly matched his eyes; his pointed wizard's hat was set at a jaunty angle on his wavy hair. A short, irritable-looking man was dancing around taking photographs with a large black camera that emitted puffs of purple smoke with every blinding flash.

"Out of the way, there," he snarled at Ron, moving back to get a better shot. "This is for the Daily Prophet -"  
"Big deal," said Ron, rubbing his foot where the photographer had stepped on it. Gilderoy Lockhart heard him. He looked up. He saw Ron and then he saw Harry and Mia. He stared. Then he leapt to his feet and positively shouted, "It can't be Harry and Mia Potter?"  
The crowd parted, whispering excitedly; Lockhart dived forward, seized Harry's arm, and pulled him to the front. The crowd burst into applause. Harry's face burned as Lockhart shook his hand for the photographer, who was clicking away madly, wafting thick smoke over the Weasleys.

"Nice big smile, Harry, Mia" said Lockhart, through his own gleaming teeth. "Together, you two and I are worth the front page."  
When he finally let go of Harry's hand, Harry could hardly feel his fingers. He tried to sidle back over to the Weasleys, but Lockhart threw an arm around his shoulders and clamped him tightly to his side.  
"Ladies and gentlemen," he said loudly, waving for quiet. "What an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment for me to make a little announcement I've been sitting on for some time! "When Harry and his sister here stepped into Flourish and Blotts today, he only wanted to buy my autobiography -which I shall be happy to present him now, free of charge-" The crowd applauded again. "He had no idea," Lockhart continued, giving Harry a little shake that made his glasses slip to the end of his nose, "that he would shortly be getting much, much more than my book, Magical Me. He and his schoolmates will, in fact, be getting the real magical me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have great pleasure and pride in announcing that this September, I will be taking up the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!" The crowd cheered and clapped and Harry found himself being presented with the entire works of Gilderoy Lockhart.

Staggering slightly under their weight, both, he and Mia managed to make their way out of the limelight to the edge of the room, where Ginny was standing next to Mrs. Weasley new special cauldron for cooking and stuff for her and Mia as well. "You have these," Harry mumbled to her, tipping the books into the cauldron. "I'll buy my own -" and Mia give me the money I will by for you too…"

"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter?" said a voice Harry had no trouble recognizing. He straightened up and found himself face-to-face with Draco Malfoy, who was wearing his usual sneer.  
"Famous Harry Potter," said Malfoy. "Can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page."  
"Leave him alone, he didn't want all that!" said Ginny. She was glaring at Malfoy.  
"Potter, you've got yourself a girlfriend!" drawled Malfoy. Ginny went scarlet as Mia said "and if he got a girlfriend? It is any problem for you that he has one and you don't?"  
"Potter, I didn't knew that your sister is here too…"  
"Leave her alone, Malfoy" Hermione mumbled as she and Ron fought their way over, both clutching stacks of Lockhart's books.

"Oh, it's you," said Ron, looking at Malfoy as if he were something unpleasant on the sole of his shoe. "Bet you're surprised to see Harry here, eh?"  
"Not as surprised as I am to see you in a shop, Weasley," retorted Malfoy. "I suppose your parents will go hungry for a month to pay for all those."  
Ron went as red as Ginny. He dropped his books into the cauldron, too, and started toward Malfoy, but Mia and Hermione grabbed the back of his jacket.

"Ron!" said Mr. Weasley, struggling over with Fred and George. "What are you doing? It's too crowded in here, let's go outside."  
"Well, well, well - Arthur Weasley."  
It was Mr. Malfoy. He stood with his hand on Draco's shoulder, sneering in just the same way.  
"Lucius," said Mr. Weasley, nodding coldly.  
"Busy time at the Ministry, I hear," said Mr. Malfoy. "All those raids ... I hope they're paying you overtime?"  
He reached into Ginny's cauldron and extracted, from amid the glossy Lockhart books, a very old, very battered copy of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration.  
"Obviously not," Mr. Malfoy said. "Dear me, what's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?"

Mr. Weasley flushed darker than either Ron or Ginny.  
We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy," he said.  
"Clearly," said Mr. Malfoy, his pale eyes straying to Mr. and Mrs. Granger, who were watching apprehensively. "The company you keep, Weasley ... and I thought your family could sink no lower ='  
There was a thud of metal as Ginny's cauldron went flying; Mr. Weasley had thrown himself at Mr. Malfoy, knocking him backward into a bookshelf. Dozens of heavy spell books came thundering down on all their heads; there was a yell of, "Get him, Dad!" from Fred or George; Mrs. Weasley was shrieking, "No, Arthur, no!"; the crowd stampeded backward, knocking more shelves over; "Gentlemen, please - please!" cried the assistant, and then, louder than all  
"Break it up, there, gents, break it up -"

Hagrid was wading toward them through the sea of books. In an instant he had pulled Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy apart. Mr. Weasley had a cut lip and Mr. Malfoy had been hit in the eye by an Encyclopedia of Toadstools. He was still holding Ginny's old Transfiguration book. He thrust it at her, his eyes glittering with malice.

"Here, girl - take your book - it's the best your father can give you -" Pulling himself out of Hagrid's grip he beckoned to Draco and swept from the shop.  
"Yeh should've ignored him, Arthur," said Hagrid, almost lifting Mr. Weasley off his feet as he straightened his robes. "Rotten ter the core, the whole family, everyone knows that - no Malfoy's worth listenin' ter - bad blood, that's what it is - come on now - let's get outta here."  
They hurried up the street, the Grangers shaking with fright and Mrs. Weasley beside herself with fury.  
"A fine example to set for your children . . . brawling in public . . . what Gilderoy Lockhart must've thought -"  
"He was pleased," said Fred. "Didn't you hear him as we were leaving? He was asking that bloke from the Daily Prophet if he'd be able to work the fight into his report - said it was all publicity -"

But it was a subdued group that headed back to the fireside in the Leaky Cauldron, where Harry, the Weasleys, and all their shopping would be traveling back to the Burrow using Floo powder. They said good-bye to the Grangers, who were leaving the pub for the Muggle street on the other side; Mr. Weasley started to ask them how bus stops worked, but stopped quickly at the look on Mrs. Weasley's face. And then they flew back to the Borrow.


	10. Chapter 10: First week in Hogwarts, M&G

Chapter 10: First Week at Hogwarts for Mia and Ginny

**Author's note- I took some parts from the first book and the second book. **

**One week till IDF.**

The end of the summer vacation came too quickly for Harry's liking. He was looking forward to getting back to Hogwarts, but his month at the Burrow had been the happiest and the funniest of his life.

On their last evening, Mrs. Weasley conjured up a sumptuous dinner that included all of Harry's favorite things, ending with a mouthwatering treacle pudding. Fred and George rounded off the evening with a display of Filibuster fireworks; they fiIled the kitchen with red and blue stars that bounced from ceiling to wall for at least half an hour. Then it was time for a last mug of hot chocolate and bed.

It took a long while to get started next morning. They were up at dawn, but somehow they still seemed to have a great deal to do. Mrs. Weasley dashed about in a bad mood looking for spare socks and quills; people kept colliding on the stairs, half-dressed with bits of toast in their hands; and Mr. Weasley nearly broke his neck, tripping over a stray chicken as he crossed the yard carrying Ginny's trunk to the car and then Mia's.

Harry couldn't see how nine people, seven large trunks, two owls, and a rat were going to fit into one small Ford Anglia.  
"Mr. Weasley, I know that when my family go to vacation usually we are six people and don't have so much things to take so we usually fit in without any problem. But how we all I mean all 9 with all the stuff will get into the car?" Harry asked him and then he saw that Mr. Weasley was using his wand.

"Not a word to Molly," he whispered to Harry as he opened the trunk and showed him how it had been magically expanded so that the luggage fitted easily. Mr. Weasley started up the engine and they trundled out of the yard, Harry turning back for a last look at the house. He barely had time to wonder when he'd see it again when they were back George had forgotten his box of Filibuster fireworks. Five minutes after that, they skidded to a halt in the yard so that Fred could run in for his broomstick.

They reached King's Cross at a quarter to eleven. Mr. Weasley dashed across the road to get trolleys for their trunks and they all hurried into the station. Harry had caught the Hogwarts Express the previous year. The tricky part was getting onto platform nine and three-quarters, which wasn't visible to the Muggle eye. What you had to do was walk through the solid barrier dividing platforms nine and ten. It didn't hurt, but it had to be done carefully so that none of the Muggles noticed you vanishing.

"Percy first," said Mrs. Weasley, looking nervously at the clock overhead, which showed they had only five minutes to disappear casually through the barrier. Percy strode briskly forward and vanished. Mr. Weasley went next; Fred and George followed.  
"I'll take Ginny with Mia and you two come right after us," Mrs. Weasley told Harry and Ron, grabbing Ginny's right hand and Mia's left hand and setting off. In the blink of an eye they were gone. "Let's go together" Ron said to Harry.

Harry made sure that Hedwig's cage was safely wedged on top of his trunk and wheeled his trolley around to face the barrier. On the next second they saw the train and rushed to it.  
"Harry, Ron let me help you" Mr. Weasley just said it and took up each trail to the train than Mrs. Weasley said "Mia and Ginny took your sandwiches". With this words Harry just hugged her and thanked her and went inside the train and try to find his sister with Ginny and Hermione as well, Ron was behind Harry.

Soon enough they found them and started to chat with Hermione and tell her what Harry and Mia did in the Burrow. About half way of the journey thy changed their muggel cloths to wizard cloth, eat their sandwiches and sweets that they bought and just talk. Mia and Ginny were excited and little worry.  
"Sis, relax, everything will be alright." Harry hugged his sister that was in a little fair and then added "You gotta be kidding me Mia, you really worried about the hat… and to fly on my broom you not afraid at all. And Ginny you said right to Malfoy stop bothering me and you too was braved and act like pride lion. So you two just excited that's all, you will be in Gryffindor. I defiantly tell you that with 100% sure. So stop worry, eat chocolate. Here" and he gave some chocolate to the two nerves girls.

The girls calmed down after they ate chocolate and was told about all the fairs that caught the 'trio' before they all got to be in Gryffindor.  
"Thank you so much Harry, now I am only looking forward to see this castle already, even that I was last year I only saw the Quiddich stadium, and now I will see it in the full size and live there. Thank you so much big brother" Mia gave a kiss to her brother and smiled.

After some time a voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately." The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. "See you soon girls" Hermione tell Mia and Ginny and left with the others to the Carriages. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and it was a familiar voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Mia and Ginny?"

Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.  
"C'mon, follow me - any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!" Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Harry thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much.  
"Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here." There was a loud "Oooooh!"  
The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black take. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.  
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Ginny and Mia sat together with more two boys.

"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then - FORWARD!" And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.

Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle. They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door. Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door. The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face. Mia and Ginny knew who she is and just wait. "The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.  
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.  
They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Mia could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right -the rest of the school must already be here - but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rulebreaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."  
Her eyes lingered for a moment on the boy who stand near Ginny cloak, which was fastened under his left ear.  
"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."  
She left the chamber. Mia swallowed. "I can't wait to see what the hat will said to me do you think I will be in Gryffindor?" she asked Ginny.  
"I hope that we both will be there, let's wait and see." Ginny said it with relief. They looked around anxiously and saw that everyone else looked terrified, too because they don't know what is waiting for them. Only Mia and Ginny knew. Any second now, Professor McGonagall would come back and lead him to his doom.

Then something happened that made him jump about a foot in the air - several people behind her screamed. "What the -?" Ginny gasped. So did the people around him. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance -"  
"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost - I say, what are you all doing here?" A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years. Nobody answered.  
"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"  
A few people nodded mutely. "Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."

"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."  
Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.  
"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."  
Mia got into line behind a boy with sandy hair, with Ginny behind her, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall. Ginny had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. But he saw it already in the book and this one is really and more bigger than in the book. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting.

Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Mia looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. And then she started to look for her brother's eyes. When she found his eyes she claimed down. Ginny and Mia took hands as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth - and the hat began to sing:

**_"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_**

**_But don't judge on what you see,_**

**_I'll eat myself if you can find_**

**_A smarter hat than me._**

**_You can keep your bowlers black,_**

**_Your top hats sleek and tall,_**

**_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_**

**_And I can cap them all._**

**_There's nothing hidden in your head_**

**_The Sorting Hat can't see,_**

**_So try me on and I will tell you_**

**_Where you ought to be._**

**_You might belong in Gryffindor,_**

**_Where dwell the brave at heart,_**

**_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart;_**

**_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_**

**_Where they are just and loyal,_**

**_Those patient Hufflepuffis are true And unafraid of toil;_**

**_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_**

**_if you've a ready mind,_**

**_Where those of wit and learning,_**

**_Will always find their kind;_**

**_Or perhaps in Slytherin_**

**_You'll make your real friends,_**

**_Those cunning folk use any means_**

**_To achieve their ends._**

**_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_**

**_And don't get in a flap!_**

**_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_**

**_For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_**

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.  
Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.  
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. After some names it was Mia's torn. Mia walked towards the chair. Next second she was looking at the black inside of the hat. She waited. "

Hmm," said a small voice in his ear. "Another Potter. I see plenty of courage. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, A my goodness, yes - and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting... So where shall I put you?" Well, the better house for you is next to your brother so it shell be GRYFFINDOR!"  
Mia heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. She took off the hat and walked toward the Gryffindor table. She immediately sat next to Harry who was hugging her and smiling to her, he was very glad that his sister is with him. She was getting the loudest cheer yet. The Weasley twins and Ron yelled, "We got one more Potter! We got one more Potter!" Mia was sitting opposite the ghost in the ruff he'd seen earlier. The ghost patted her arm, and then said "Nice to meet you Mia. Welcome to Gryffindor".

She could see the High Table properly now. At the end nearest her sat Hagrid, who caught her eye and gave her the thumbs up. Mia grinned back. And there, in the center of the High Table, in a large gold chair, sat Albus Dumbledore. Mia spotted Lockhart. He was looking very handsome in a golden cloak. And now there were only two people left to be sorted. One of them was Ginny.  
"Blanck, Lisa," became a Ravenclaw and then it was Ginny's turn. She was pale green by now. Mia and Harry crossed their fingers under the table and a second later the hat had shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!" They both clapped loudly with the rest as Ginny collapsed into the chair next to Mia.  
"Well done, Ginny, excellent," said Percy who was sitting across to Harry. Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.

"Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! "Thank you!" He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. A moment later the big plates were full with all the good food that could be. It was icluded: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs.

Harry and Mia as well piled his plate with a bit of everything except the peppermints and began to eat. It was all delicious.  
"You must be our ghost, I mean Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower. Am I right?" Mia asked the ghost "Yes young lady, I am. I am Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, to your service."  
"I know who you are!" said Ginny suddenly. "My brothers told me about you - you're Nearly Headless Nick!"  
"I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy -" the ghost began stiffly, but sandy-haired the boy with the camera interrupted.  
"Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?" Mia asked him. Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed, as if their little chat wasn't going at all the way he wanted.

"Like this," he said irritably. He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it properly. Looking pleased at the stunned looks on their faces, Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back onto his neck, coughed, and said, "So - new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year like last year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable - he's the Slytherin ghost. Last year winning was the first, by a help from Harry and his friends."

Ginny looked over at the Slytherin table and saw a horrible ghost sitting there, with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face, and robes stained with silver blood. He was right next to Malfoy who, she and Mia were pleased to see, didn't look too pleased with the seating arrangements.  
"How did he get covered in blood?" asked Mia with great interest.  
"I've never asked, and I never will" said Nearly Headless Nick delicately.  
When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding - "  
As Harry helped himself to a treacle tart, the talk turned to their families again.  
"I'm half-and-half," said Seamus who have a great interest to leave very good first impression on Mia and Ginny. "Me dad's a Muggle. Mom didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him." The others laughed.  
On Harry's other side, Percy Weasley and Hermione were talking about lessons as usual. Harry, who was starting to feel warm and sleepy, looked up at the High Table again. Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet. Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore. Lockhart, was talking to Professor Sprout and next to them was Proffesor Severus Snape, the protector of the Potters.

"Ok so unfortunately Professor Lockhart will teach us Defense Against the Dark Arts, so I will need another teacher who can really teach me the right things, Hermione could you? And Harry I will need your help as well." Mia said it with a smile on her face.  
"Why you said unfortunately, Mia?" Hermione looked at her puzzled.  
"Well Hermione, I think as well as my mother that Lockhart can't teach us something. The only thing who is he carry about is his teeth and himself" She looked at her brother to support and he just said "Mia don't worry I will teach you everything that you need to know and Ginny you too"  
"No Harry, I will look forwad Lockhart's lessons and if they will be bad as Mia said I will look for your lessons or Hermione" Ginny gave them both a smile and went back to eat her dessert.

At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.  
"Ahern - just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.  
"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well." Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.  
"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.  
"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.  
"And finally, I must tell you that this year, as the last year you must to watch you, yourself and your close friends, this including to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death." With this he glared at Harry.  
"He's not serious?" Mia muttered to Harry.  
"Must be," said Harry, believe me if he say that you must to be careful so you will" frowning at Dumbledore.

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Harry noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed.  
Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words. "Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!" And the school bellowed, Mia and Ginny knew what song it is and joined to Harry, Ron and the others:

**_"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,_**

**_Teach us something please,_**

**_Whether we be old and bald_**

**_Or young with scabby knees,_**

**_Our heads could do with filling_**

**_With some interesting stuff,_**

**_For now they're bare and full of air,_**

**_Dead flies and bits of fluff,_**

**_So teach us things worth knowing,_**

**_Bring back what we've forgot,_**

**_just do your best, we'll do the rest,_**

**_And learn until our brains all rot._**

Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins (as usual) were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest.  
"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

The Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. Mia's legs were like lead again, but only because she was so tired and full of food. She was too sleepy even to notice that the people in the portraits along the corridors whispered and pointed as they passed, or that twice Percy led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. They climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet, and Mia was just wondering how much farther they had to go when they came to a sudden halt.

A bundle of walking sticks was floating in midair ahead of them, and as Percy took a step toward them they started throwing themselves at him.  
"Peeves," Percy whispered to the first years. "A poltergeist." He raised his voice, "Peeves - show yourself" A loud, rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon, answered.  
"Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?" There was a pop, and a little man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross- legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks.  
"Oooooooh!" he said, with an evil cackle. "Ickle Firsties! What fun!" He swooped suddenly at them. They all ducked.  
"Go away, Peeves, or the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!" barked Percy. Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head. They heard him zooming away, rattling coats of armor as he passed.  
"You want to watch out for Peeves," said Percy, as they set off again. "The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects. Here we are."

At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.  
"Password?" she said. "Wattlebird," said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs.  
Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. At the top of a spiral staircase - they were obviously in one of the towers - they found their beds at last: five four-posters hung with deep red, velvet curtains. Their trunks had already been brought up. Too tired to talk much, they pulled on their pajamas and fell into bed.

"Great food, isn't it?" Ginny muttered to Mia through the hangings.  
"Yea, absolutely. But I miss my mom's food" Mia said to a sleepy girl. She decided that tomorrow she will write a letter home and tell everyone that she is in Gryffindor with Ginny and everything is fine.

**_The First lessons:_**

The first breakfast at the Great Hall came. The four long house tables were laden with tureens of porridge, plates of kippers, mountains of toast, and dishes of eggs and bacon, beneath the enchanted ceiling (today, a dull, cloudy gray). Harry and Ron who was the last from the company who finally came and sat down at the Gryffindor table next to Hermione. They were greeted by Mia and Ginny. Hermione had her copy of Voyages with Vampires propped open against a milk jug. There was a slight stiffness in the way she said "Morning," which told Harry that she was still disapproving of the way he support Mia about Lockhart. Neville Longbottom, on the other hand, greeted them cheerfully. Neville was a round-faced and accident-prone boy with the worst memory of anyone Harry had ever met.

"Mail's due any minute - I think Gran's sending a few things I forgot."  
Harry had only just started his porridge when, sure enough, there was a rushing sound overhead and a hundred or so owls streamed in, circling the hall and dropping letters and packages into the chattering crowd. A big, lumpy package bounced off Neville's head and, a second later, something large and gray fell into Hermione's jug, spraying them all with milk and feathers.

"Enrol!" said Ron, pulling the bedraggled owl out by the feet. Errol slumped, unconscious, onto the table, his legs in the air and a red envelope in his beak.  
"Oh, no -" Ron gasped.  
"It's all right, he's still alive," said Hermione, prodding Errol gently with the tip of her finger.  
"It's not that - it's that." Ron was pointing at the red envelope. It looked quite ordinary to Harry, but Ron and Neville were both looking at it as though they expected it to explode.  
"Have you done something bad Ron?" Neville asked him.  
"What's the matter?" said Harry.  
"She's - she's sent me a Howler," said Ron faintly.  
"You'd better open it, Ron," said Neville in a timid whisper. "It'll be worse if you don't my gran sent me one once, and I ignored it and" - he gulped - "it was horrible." Harry looked from their petrified faces to the red envelope.  
"What's a Howler? I never get one." he said. But Ron's whole attention was fixed on the letter, which had begun to smoke at the corners.  
"Open it," Neville urged. "It'll all be over in a few minutes -"  
Ron stretched out a shaking hand, eased the envelope from Errol's beak, and slit it open. Neville stuffed his fingers in his ears. A split second later, Harry knew why. He thought for a moment it had exploded; a roar of sound fiIled the huge hall, shaking dust from the ceiling.

_**"FORGOT THE WORKSHEETS AND THE BOOKS, MOST ALL OF YOUR STUFF LEFT HOME! WHAT DO YOU PUT IN YOUR TRAIL THAT YOU LEFT SUCH A LOT OF THINGS AT HOME? WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU RONALD?" **_Mrs. Weasleys yells, a hundred times louder than usual, made the plates and spoons rattle on the table, and echoed deafeningly off the stone walls. People throughout the hall were swiveling around to see who had received the Howler, and Ron sank so low in his chair that only his crimson forehead could be seen.

_**"- LETTER FROM DUMBLEDORE LAST NIGHT, I THOUGHT YOUR FATHER WOULD DIE OF SHAME, WE DIDN'T BRING YOU UP TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS, IT IS REALLY STRANGE AND NOW WE WILL USE MANY OF OWLS TO SEND YOUR STUFF TO HOGWARTS. IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT AND IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT BACK HOME. OH and Ginny dear we are glad and proud about that you are in Gryffindor and Mia welcome too." **_Mia and Ginny both became pink and red. Well Mia pink and Ginny red, while the envelope was talking Ginny became pink and then red. Mia noticed it but decided to ask her later. She think that Ginny knows about what had happen at the Burrow and just hide it.

A ringing silence fell. The red envelope, which had dropped from Ron's hand, burst into flames and curled into ashes. Ron sat stunned, as though a tidal wave had just passed over him. A few people laughed and, gradually, a babble of talk broke out again.  
Hermione closed Voyages with Vampires and looked down at the top of Ron's head.  
"Well, I don't know what you expected, Ron, but you -"  
"Don't tell me I deserved it," snapped Ron. Harry pushed his porridge away. His insides were burning with guilt. Mr. Weasley and Mrs. Weasley will use a lot of owls include his owls at home. After all Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had done for him and for Mia over the summer ...  
But he had no time to dwell on this; Professor McGonagall was moving along the Gryffindor table, handing out course schedules. Harry took his and saw that they had double Herbology with the Hufepuffs first.

While Mia and Ginny had their double History of Magic with Hufepuffs as well. Before they left Mia and Hermione make a deal: who will award more points for the house over the first week will get 5 galleons. Harry and Ron laughed at this because they both knew that Hermione will bit her but Harry knew inside him that his sister can surprise Hermione and win the deal. After it Harry, Ron, and Hermione left the castle together, crossed the vegetable patch, and made for the greenhouses, where the magical plants were kept. At least the Howler had done one good thing: Hermione seemed to think they had now been punished enough and was being perfectly friendly again.

_The Herbology Class:_

As they neared the greenhouses they saw the rest of the class standing outside, waiting for Professor Sprout. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had only just joined them when she came striding into view across the lawn, accompanied by Gilderoy Lockhart. Professor Sprout's arms were full of bandages, and with another twinge of guilt, Harry spotted the Whomping Willow in the distance, several of its branches now in slings.

Professor Sprout was a squat little witch who wore a patched hat over her flyaway hair; there was usually a large amount of earth on her clothes and her fingernails would have made Mrs. Potter faint. Gilderoy Lockhart, however, was immaculate in sweeping robes of turquoise, his golden hair shining under a perfectly positioned turquoise hat with gold trimming.

"Oh, hello there!" he called, beaming around at the assembled students. "Just been showing Professor Sprout the right way to doctor a Whomping Willow! But I don't want you running away with the idea that I'm better at Herbology than she is! I just happen to have met several of these exotic plants on my travels . . ."

"Greenhouse three today, chaps!" said Professor Sprout, who was looking distinctly disgruntled, not at all her usual cheerful self. There was a murmur of interest. They had only ever worked in greenhouse one before - greenhouse three housed far more interesting and dangerous plants. Professor Sprout took a large key from her belt and unlocked the door. Harry caught a whiff of damp earth and fertilizer mingling with the heavy perfume of some giant, umbrella- sized flowers dangling from the ceiling. After some minutes Lockhart left and the lesson begin.

Professor Sprout was standing behind a trestle bench in the cen ter of the greenhouse. About twenty pairs of different-colored ear muffs were lying on the bench. When Harry had taken his place between Ron and Hermione, she said, "We'll be repotting Man drakes today. Now, who can tell me the properties of the Man drake?" To nobody's surprise, Hermione's hand was first into the air.

"Mandrake, or Mandragora, is a powerful restorative," said Hermione, sounding as usual as though she had swallowed the textbook. "It is used to return people who have been transfigured or cursed to their original state."  
"Excellent. Ten points to Gryffindor," said Professor Sprout. "The Mandrake forms an essential part of most antidotes. It is also, however, dangerous. Who can tell me why?" Hermione's hand narrowly missed Harry's glasses as it shot up again.  
"The cry of the Mandrake is fatal to anyone who hears it," she said promptly.  
"Precisely. Take another ten points," said Professor Sprout. "Now, the Mandrakes we have here are still very young."  
She pointed to a row of deep trays as she spoke, and everyone shuffled forward for a better look. A hundred or so tufty little plants, purplish green in color, were growing there in rows. They looked quite unremarkable to Harry, who didn't have the slightest idea what Hermione meant by the "cry" of the Mandrake.  
"Everyone take a pair of earmuffs," said Professor Sprout. There was a scramble as everyone tried to seize a pair that wasn't pink and fluffy.  
"When I tell you to put them on, make sure your ears are completely covered," said Professor Sprout. "When it is safe to remove them, I will give you the thumbs-up. Right - earmuffs on."

Harry snapped the earmuffs over his ears. They shut out sound completely. Professor Sprout put the pink, fluffy pair over her own ears, rolled up the sleeves of her robes, grasped one of the tufty plants firmly, and pulled hard. Harry let out a gasp of surprise that no one could hear. Instead of roots, a small, muddy, and extremely ugly baby popped out of the earth. The leaves were growing right out of his head. He had pale green, mottled skin, and was clearly bawling at the top of his lungs.

Professor Sprout took a large plant pot from under the table and plunged the Mandrake into it, burying him in dark, damp compost until only the tufted leaves were visible. Professor Sprout dusted off her hands, gave them all the thumbs-up, and removed her own earmuffs.  
"As our Mandrakes are only seedlings, their cries won't kill yet," she said calmly as though she'd just done nothing more exciting than water a begonia. "However, they will knock you out for several hours, and as I'm sure none of you want to miss your first day back, make sure your earmuffs are securely in place while you work. I will attract your attention when it is time to pack up.

"Four to a tray - there is a large supply of pots here - compost in the sacks over there - and be careful of the Venemous Tentacula, it's teething."  
She gave a sharp slap to a spiky, dark red plant as she spoke, making it draw in the long feelers that had been inching sneakily over her shoulder. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were joined at their tray by a curly-haired Hufflepuff boy Harry knew by sight but had never spoken to.

"Justin Finch-Fletchley," he said brightly, shaking Harry by the hand. "Know who you are, of course, the famous Harry Potter... And you're Hermione Granger - always top in everything" (Hermione beamed as she had her hand shaken too) "- and Ron Weasley. Wasn't that your stuff problem?"  
Ron didn't smile. The Howler was obviously still on his mind.  
"That Lockhart's something, isn't he?" said Justin happily as they began fiIling their plant pots with dragon dung compost. "Awfully brave chap. Have you read his books? Id have died of fear if Id been cornered in a telephone booth by a werewolf, but he stayed cool and - zap - just fantastic.

"My name was down for Eton, you know. I can't tell you how glad I am I came here instead. Of course, Mother was slightly disappointed, but since I made her read Lockhart's books I think she's begun to see how useful it'll be to have a fully trained wizard in the family . . . ."  
After that they didn't have much chance to talk. Their earmuffs were back on and they needed to concentrate on the Mandrakes. Professor Sprout had made it look extremely easy, but it wasn't. The Mandrakes didn't like coming out of the earth, but didn't seem to want to go back into it either. They squirmed, kicked, flailed their sharp little fists, and gnashed their teeth; Harry spent ten whole minutes trying to squash a particularly fat one into a pot.

By the end of the class, Harry, like everyone else, was sweaty, aching, and covered in earth. Everyone traipsed back to the castle for a quick wash and then the Gryffindors hurried off to Transfiguration. Professor McGonagall's classes were always hard work, but today was especially difficult. Everything Harry had learned last year seemed to have leaked out of his head during the summer. He was supposed to be turning a beetle into a button, and he did it but not such prefect. He still got 5 points. Harry was relieved to hear the lunch bell. His brain felt like a wrung sponge. And he wanted to hear from his sister how is going her first day and how many points she got already. Harry, Ron and Hermione sat together and just waited for Ginny and Mia.

_Meanwhile in the History of Magic Class:_

Easily the most boring class was History of Magic, which was the only one taught by a ghost. Professor Binns had been very old indeed when he had fallen asleep in front of the staff room fire and got up next morning to teach, leaving his body behind him. Binns droned on and on while they scribbled down names and dates, and got Emetic the Evil and Uric the Oddball mixed up. But when he asked questions he always choose a person who could answer by looking in the name list. When he notice Mia's name he asked her something and when he got the right answer he gave her 20 points at once because her answer was right, full and well prepared for such a little time like 5 minutes.

Then, Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was a tiny little wizard who had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk. At the start of their first class he took the roll call, and when he reached Mia's name he gave an excited squeak and toppled out of sight, as was with Harry's name. He also asked her if she knew something and she said him yes and showed what she had known and got another 20 points as well.

On the lunch time when Ginny and Mia sat next to the trio, they was cover with a lot of questions and after Mia answered on most of them and told Harry how much points she got and how, Harry told her that he got 5 points too and on that he got a little snap on his neck and an angry glared from his sister that said "You had to practice, mom and dad had told you but you hadn't listen to them" After that the deal was still on. Until the launch it is 40 – 40 each one.

After the launch time Ginny and Mia had their Transfiguration lesson while the trio had Charm lesson. They Charmed all the things that they did last year. For that Hermione got 20 points, Harry got 15 points and Ron got 10 points. (60 – 40 to Hermione)

Professor McGonagall was again different. Mia had been quite right to think she wasn't a teacher to cross. Strict and clever, as Mia heard from her parents and Harry. Proffesor McGonagall gave them a talking-to the moment they sat down in her first class.  
"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."

"I can say that sometimes James Potter, your dad Mia will come here to teach you stuff like last year" Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again. They were all very impressed and couldn't wait to get started, but soon realized they weren't going to be changing the furniture into animals for a long time. After taking a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. By the end of the lesson, both Mia and Ginny had made any difference to her match; Professor McGonagall showed the class how it had gone all silver and pointy and gave them a rare smile and 10 points each one. (60 – 50)

Also the boy with the camera was named Colin Creevey and he is first student as Mia and Ginny. He always tries to take a picture of both Harry and Mia to send it home for that his little brother will believe him that he had met Harry and Mia Potter in his school. At the end of the day Hermione and Mia decided to leave this little deal till rest of the week and to double the money. "So stay still." Ginny said and giggled and with her all the company started to laugh. "Wow Mia, I didn't notice that you are so smart" Harry said proudly and high fived his sister then he owl home his latter and on the next morning he got the answer from his mother:

**_'We all proud and glad that Mia is in Gryffindor as well and already feel good. Also it is nice to hear about all the points that you took for Gryffindor each of you for the first day. Good Job! We sent you some sweets for the rest of the week. Share with friends too. Thanks for telling us, remember to take yourself and your sister out of danger_**

**_much love_**

**_Mom'._**

_First Potion lesson for Mia and Ginny and First lesson of Defense Against the Dark Arts to the 'golden trio':_

Friday was an important day for Mia and Ginny.  
"What have we got today?" Mia asked Ginny as she poured sugar on her porridge.  
"Double Potions with the Slytherins," said Ginny. "Snape's Head of Slytherin House. They say he always favors them - we'll be able to see if it's true."  
"Yea but still last year Harry got some points from him isn't it Harry?"  
"Yes, I got some but it depends."  
"Wish McGonagall favored us" said Mia. Professor McGonagall was head of Gryffindor House, but it hadn't stopped her from giving them a huge pile of homework the day before.

Just then, the mail arrived. But it had given her a bit of a shock on the first morning, when about a hundred owls had suddenly streamed into the Great Hall during breakfast, circling the tables until they saw their owners, and dropping letters and packages onto their laps. After thiers mother's letter Hedwig didn't bring anything to Harry and Mia. She sometimes flew in to nibble Harry's ear and have a bit of toast before going off to sleep in the owlery with the other school owls, as usual. This morning, however, she fluttered down between the marmalade and the sugar bowl and dropped a note onto Harry's plate. Harry tore it open at once. It said, in a very untidy scrawl:

_**Dear Harry and Mia,**_

_**I know you get Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three?**_

_**I want to hear all about your first week. Send me an answer back with Hedwig.**_

_**Hagrid**_

Harry borrowed Ron's quill, scribbled 'Yes, please, see you later' on the back of the note, and sent Hedwig off again. It was lucky that Harry and Mia had tea with Hagrid to look forward to, because the Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson turned out to be the worst thing that had happened to him so far. As Mia was right, Lockhart hadn't started to teach them nothing from the syllabus that he got them he just gave them a 'small test' about him and only Hermione answered all his questions and got 10 points more. (70 - 50 to Hermione) Then he left the all class to deal with pixies. And here is the rest of the lesson:

"Now - be warned! It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizardkind! You may find yourselves facing your worst fears in this room. Know only that no harm can befall you whilst I am here. All I ask is that you remain calm." Lockhart said. In spite of himself, Harry leaned around his pile of books for a better look at the cage. Lockhart placed a hand on the cover. Dean and Seamus had stopped laughing now. Neville was cowering in his front row seat.  
"I must ask you not to scream," said Lockhart in a low voice. "It might provoke them." As the whole class held its breath, Lockhart whipped off the cover.

"Yes," he said dramatically. "Freshly caught Cornish pixies. " Seamus Finnigan couldn't control himself. He let out a snort of laughter that even Lockhart couldn't mistake for a scream of terror.  
"Yes?" He smiled at Seamus.  
"Well, they're not - they're not very - dangerous, are they?" Seamus choked.  
"Don't be so sure!" said Lockhart, waggling a finger annoyingly at Seamus. "Devilish tricky little blighters they can be!"  
The pixies were electric blue and about eight inches high, with pointed faces and voices so shrill it was like listening to a lot of budgies arguing. The moment the cover had been removed, they had started jabbering and rocketing around, rattling the bars and making bizarre faces at the people nearest them.

"Right, then," Lockhart said loudly. "Let's see what you make of them!" And he opened the cage.  
It was pandemonium. The pixies shot in every direction like rockets. Two of them seized Neville by the ears and lifted him into the air. Several shot straight through the window, showering the back row with broken glass. The rest proceeded to wreck the classroom more effectively than a rampaging rhino. They grabbed ink bottles and sprayed the class with them, shredded books and papers, tore pictures from the walls, up-ended the waste basket, grabbed bags and books and threw them out of the smashed window; within minutes, half the class was sheltering under desks and Neville was swinging from the iron chandelier in the ceiling.

"Come on now - round them up, round them up, they're only pixies," Lockhart shouted. He rolled up his sleeves, brandished his wand, and bellowed, "Peskipiksi Pesternomi!" It had absolutely no effect; one of the pixies seized his wand and threw it out of the window, too. Lockhart gulped and dived under his own desk, narrowly avoiding being squashed by Neville, who fell a second later as the chandelier gave way.  
The bell rang and there was a mad rush toward the exit. In the relative calm that followed, Lockhart straightened up, caught sight of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who were almost at the door, and said, "Well, I'll ask you three to just nip the rest of them back into their cage." He swept past them and shut the door quickly behind him.

"Can you believe him? I can't believe Mia was right all the way." roared Ron as one of the remaining pixies bit him painfully on the ear.  
"He just wants to give us some hands-on experience," said Hermione, immobilizing two pixies at once with a clever Freezing Charm and stuffing them back into their cage.  
"Hands on? "Said Harry, who was trying to grab a pixie dancing out of reach with its tongue out.  
"Hermione, he didn't have a clue what he was doing -"  
"Rubbish," said Hermione. "You've read his books - look at all those amazing things he's done -"  
"He says he's done," Ron muttered. After that they went to their common room.

_In the Potion lesson:_

Mia thought that it will be easy for here because all the she helped her mother in her shop so she had knew some stuff and Proffesor Snape saw her there. But by the end of the first Potions lesson, she knew she'd been wrong. Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle, and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls.  
Snape, like Flitwick and most others teachers, started the class by taking the roll call, and like Flitwick, he paused at Harry's name but he didn't said nothing, just looked at him and showed a little smile to him, Harry understand it.  
"Ah, Yes," he said softly, "Mia Potter. I hope you are much smarter than your brother."  
Some Slytherin girls giggled . Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes were black like Hagrid's, but they had none of Hagrid's warmth. They were cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word - like Professor McGonagall, Snape had you caught every word - like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

More silence followed this little speech. Mia and Ginny exchanged looks with raised eyebrows.  
"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"  
Mia thought a little and then answered "wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death" said Harry. Snape's lips curled into a little smile. "10 points to Gryffindor" he said. "Well what about this. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"  
"A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons."  
"Well I see that you had helped your mother in her shop, isn't it?"  
"Yes Professor" Harry looked to his eyes deeply.  
"Well done, take more 10 points and I will give you 10 points more if you answered me to the last question:  
What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"  
After a little silence Mia answered "Monkshood and Wolfsbane are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite, is I right?" Snape clap hands and said "Yes it is right you got your points and now I want that you tell it again to everyone and you will copy it to your notes" here was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. (80 - 70 to Mia)

For the long time Gryffindor don't get so many points in one lesson such as the Potions lesson. Later, Snape put them all into pairs and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. He swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone except one Slytherin girl name Daria, whom he seemed to like. He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Daria had stewed her horned slugs when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon. Collin was with another boy from Gryffindor and it was a quit silence, but for it all the pairs where were Gryffindor got 2 more points each one. Not including Ginny and Mia who got 5 points each one, while the Slytherin students got 5 points each one. The lesson finished and the girls wanted to go up but stopped by Snape. "Mia I want you to come in to my office from some minutes. Miss Weasley you can come too."(85- 70 to Mia)

**Mia**

"Potter, have a sit" Snape told me and immediately I sat on one of the chairs that were in front of his desk.  
"Well, So I see your know age in my classes. And I really proud at you but as you see I am a head of Slytherin and you from Gryffindor so I can't give you such a lot points. So I decided that when you will do right stuff and I will give you like 2-5 points you always need to know that it is from 8-10 points. Not all of them will be 10, most of them will be 5 but still. Great job you too, I want that both of you will work together. You free to go" on this words I only said "Thank you Professor for everything" and we both went to the common room.

"So, how much points did Snape give to you?" Harry asked me.  
"He gave her 35 points for only first lesson! And I got 5 points myself." Ginny screamed proudly.  
"Well, well done sis. New record: 35 points in potion lesson." Harry put his hand on her shoulder and looked at her proudly.  
"Well at least I got 7o points from all over the week and you Mia got 85 points from all over the week so here are your 10 galleons" Hermione gave her them with a smile.  
"Thanks you Hermione. It was a very nice deal. Now my stomach makes strange noises so who is coming with me for the lunch?"  
"Me" was the answer and they started to go down to the Great Hall. "Harry then we will go to Hagrid, right?" I asked him while we were entered to the Great Hall.  
"Yes we will" He said.

At five to three Harry and Mia left the castle and made their way across the grounds. Hagrid lived in a small wooden house on the edge of the forbidden forest. A crossbow and a pair of galoshes were outside the front door. When Harry knocked they heard a frantic scrabbling from inside and several booming barks. Then Hagrid's voice rang out, saying, "Back, Fang - back." Hagrid's big, hairy face appeared in the crack as he pulled the door open.  
"Hang on," he said. "Back, Fang." He let them in, struggling to keep a hold on the collar of an enormous black boarhound.  
There was only one room inside. Hams and pheasants were hanging from the ceiling, a copper kettle was boiling on the open fire, and in the corner stood a massive bed with a patchwork quilt over it.  
"Make yerselves at home," said Hagrid, letting go of Fang, who bounded straight at Ron and started licking his ears. Like Hagrid, Fang was clearly not as fierce as he looked. Hagrid, was pouring boiling water into a large teapot and putting rock cakes onto a plate.

"How are your parents?" Hagrid asked Harry. Instead of that Harry answered, Mia answered "We got from them a letter so they supposed to be at home, so I think that they finished with their mission". After it they changed the subjects about school. The rock cakes were shapeless lumps with raisins that almost broke their teeth, but Harry and Mia pretended to be enjoying them as they told Hagrid all about their first -lessons. Fang rested his head on Harry's knee and drooled all over his robes. Mia was delighted to hear Hagrid call Fitch "that old git."  
"An' as fer that cat, Mrs. Norris, I'd like ter introduce her to Fang sometime. D'yeh know, every time I go up ter the school, she follows me everywhere? Can't get rid of her - Fitch puts her up to it." Mia told Hagrid about Snape's lesson. Hagrid just said "Good job, Lilly did with you as well with Harry" and then continue to listen. Harry wondered if Hagrid had changed the subject on purpose. As Harry and Mia walked back to the castle for dinner, their pockets weighed down with rock cakes they'd been too polite to refuse, Harry thought that none of the lessons he'd had so far had given him as much to think about as tea with Hagrid.

Next day they made homework and spend the all-day outside while it was still worm enough. And on that day Mia decided to talk with Ginny.  
"Ginny, I want to ask you something, if you don't mine?" Mia looked at her friend. They both had finished their homework so they just laid and enjoyed the sun.  
"Of course, let's have a little walk. Ron, Harry when you finish with your homework please take it to the common room. Later we will come back." With this words Harry only nodded and came back to his work.  
"So what bothered you?" Ginny asked.

"Well, remember the first morning when Ron get the red envelope?"  
"Yes"  
"So why you got pink? Do you maybe had done it or something? Don't worry I won't tell anybody." Mia said honestly and looked at her friend with wide eyes.  
"Well, I have one note, it is like a diary and it is hard to explain. I like talk to someone and well he said me to do it so I did and that's why I blushed."  
" Oh. I got it. From where do you have it?"  
"I don't know, I remember that when we came from the Diagon Allie I had it with my books and started to write there. I don't want to talk about it let's go into the castle."  
"OK. Lets." And after it Mia's mind started to work. She remembered that Mr. Malfoy had put something in Mrs. Weasley special thing that was full of decided that for now not telling about it to nobody and just wait for strange things to come.


End file.
